A couple of years ago we did the “show us your accessory wheels”, and a lot of neat pictures and information were posted about just about every kind of wheel one could imagine.

To refresh your memory,
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/599638/696044.html


Was thinkin today... What about all those mag drives, distributors, and timer elevators out there. Let’s see ‘em! Is it on your car... on your shelf... original ads... don’t be shy, share your experience. Good? Bad? Indifferent?

SPLITDORF DIXE FRONT PLATE MAGNETO DRIVE SETUP.


You can see the manual as well on this Accessory Of The Day thread I posted back in 2014.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/458232.html

Here's a MATCO Front Plate drive unit with installation instructions.

BOSCH THREE GEAR ALUMINUM FRONT PLATE MAGNETO DRIVE

Mine is a Bosch front plate distributor but really could not see much if I took photos.

Here is the special timing cover that goes along with the aluminum Bosch side magneto drive. Designed for the non-generator block, but will work on any later block when used with the early generator block off side cover

Kevin, Do you still have any of those timers covers for sale if someone needs one?

I could always make more timing covers if there were demand. Currently I’m down to the last one.

I ran a Matco magneto drive on my ‘ol ‘27 roadster. Was a bit of a pain to set up the drive gears. But performed well for the time that I owned the car. But with enough gaskets and a half a tube of silicone, I was able to get the gears set up and running smooth.

Neat thing about the Matco is the oil fill spout has a divider in it, and when you add oil to the motor, a small amount of oil is reserved for the shaft bushings. The plate pictured above should have a 1/4” copper tube connecting the fill spout resivoir to the shaft oil port. I was able to document the shaft and bushing designs when I made new components to rebuild my plate. I could make this info available to anyone who might need it in an effort to complete their mag drive

We are lucky to have Dan Mceachern supplying the hobby with new gears for the cross drive units. I run 2 Matco style and a Colombo style. In my opinion, the Matco is a superior unit, but the Colombo looks neat with the extended oil fill and big cap. The gears that Dan supplies are thicker than the originals, to accommodate the wear often found on the Matco casting. It does take some careful fitting and surface grinding the gear to make a nice quiet job, if your cover has no wear on it.

How bout someone post a pic of the Colombo drive plate. You’re right bout the can’t miss oil spout! The thing I like best about the Colombo is the fact that the drive gears are both bushed and supported by the cover plate itself. As a self contained unit, you don’t have the hassle of setting up the gears like the Matco and other brands. All you have to do is figure out how to assemble the funky cam shaft coupling ;)

Not really an "accessory ignition system" but rather a stock ignition accessory !

It’s nice to see a timer elevator in use Steve. I see a lot of original ads for these, and until now have never heard of one in use

These are all pretty neat......I guess back in the day not everyone was a fan of the wood coil ! Kevin, I’ll post a pic of a Colombo tomorrow. The Columbo gears are also spring loaded so are self centering ( to a limit ). I re-machine the magneto drive coupling to take a flexible coupling. I don’t trust the little woodruff key that engages the original coupling, bu5 it sure made timing it easier.

Thanks Kevin - I ran this on our '14 on the Redwoods National Tour - still haven't wiped it out - it's one of Mark Hutchinson's New Days !

Here is one of my personal faves. Not really an accessory ignition... as much as it is an accessory - accessory ignition. It’s a Bosch high tension magneto to distributor conversion unit. This unit is actually 3-1 reduction, and would not work with a Ford mag drive... but it sure looks cool tho!!! Someday when I have extra time (yeah right!!), I’m gonna make some 2-1 gears for this thing and make everyone scratch their heads when I open the hood. Why you ask??? Because the only thing better than an accessory on a Ford... is an accessory on an accessory on a Ford!! ;)

Kevin,

Get off my soap box man, The weight together is going to break this thing! LOL, Love odd and different!

Hank

Com’on Henry... there’s plenty of room on the soapbox for two! And besides... “odd and different” is the nicest thing I’ve been called all day!!! ;)

Speaking of “odd and different”...





3 in 1 front cover plate. Water pump, oil pump, and distributor all in one accessory. I saw an ad once that offered this plate with 3 different ignitions... timer elevator, fixed timing Bosch distributor, and centrifugal advance distributor. Mine is mostly complete, I made new drive gears years ago, but still need to make new shafts, oil pump gears, water pump impeller, and water outlet.

That 3 in 1 front plate would be fun. Water pump, oil pump and a dizzy. Wow almost as bad a Chevy 350.

Splitdorf cross-drive with a du4.

I sold this Columbo a while back

Ace Timer Riser

Thomas Timer Riser

Columbo Front Plate

Going back to Kevin's original post in this thread, what are the verdicts on these gizmos? Good? Bad? Indifferent?

I've never tried any of these systems. I've always just used Henry's coils. Unless there's a noticeable increase in power with any of them it just seems like a lot of other ways to do the same job to me.

Comments?

Here is one of my repo timing cover plates in use for the last several years. Bosch magneto side drive conversion with modern distributor conversion adapted. Is said to have 6000 trouble free miles so far. Distributor conversion is available as accessory for early Austin cars.

Henry, I love mine. Certainly not for the purist but most are period items. There wouldn’t have been so many variations produced back in the day had everyone been pleased with the ford timer and coils. Mine start easy , and I have no impulse couplings installed. You save the trouble of rebuilding and installing the field coil , and having a good set of coils. I think for the cost today of a rebuilt field coil, rebuilding the coil box, rebuilding or having the coils rebuilt, a good timer, it’s about a push as far as cost involved. I have a spare mag in the tool box and it takes 2 or 3 bolts to switch them out. What do you have to do if a field coil gives up?

It's like internal organs, when they quit you die. Accessibility is a wonderful thing, I respect the purist if that's what you like. But I am with Tim. Our modern cars leave us on the side of the hot road too. I am in the progress of replacing all of our modern cars with simple cars that are easy to repair, accessibility, and good fuel efficiency.
Just Me and my strange old school world.

All the Best,

Hank

Boy, I would like to have one of those risers! Not a distributer. A riser.

Are they easy to find? Expensive? Work well?

Do the risers accomplish anything nowadays? Seems to me with today's roads they just add a couple more points of failure. Cool conversation piece to have on your car, though.

I agree that there is the added "complication" of a set of bevel gears, however, there is certainly not much of a load on those gears so the gears really shouldn't be too problematic. However, to me, there is a very real benefit in that the timer is not only raised up considerably higher than all of the splash and such during inclement weather driving, but the timer is much, MUCH more accessible for checking, cleaning, oiling, etc, etc,.....a real PLUS!!!

Here is a picture of my Dixie 43 magneto. Runs really well, but I need to advance the spark a little. Any idea how to do this properly?

Thanks, John

KW Timer Riser With Built in Timer.

Halladay Distributor.
This is the only one of these I have seen in my travels.

Just in case it was missed, I'll post my question again and thanks!

Boy, I would like to have one of those risers! Not a distributer. A riser.

Are they easy to find? Expensive? Work well?

Marty, the riser was one of the very earliest accessories ever made for fords. And not a model T ford, by the way. The 1906 model N Ford was made with a timer in just about the worst spot conceivable. Unless it’s modified, you have to split the engine from the transmission to get it out. Several companies made accessory timer elevators that moved the timer to the front of the engine, and elevated it for easy access. It’s not surprising to me that they were continued to be made for the model T . They are out there, and maybe you can twist Jays arm, as it looks like he has several. The search is half the fun.

New York Coil Co. Distributor.

Thomas Distributor

Thanks, Tim. I'll keep an eye out. I'd still like to know an average price and if they work well.

Here is a Atwater Kent type LA accessory distributor.
Todd
Santa Cruz, Ca.

I have run this Delco accessory distributor on my Speedster for the last 35 years. It's always been a reliable runner, starts easy, and has a centrifugal advantage built in.
Todd
Santa Cruz, ca.

Here is a Bosch front plate type accessory distributor. I had always planned on installing this unit on my Speedster, but the Delco unit, though not as fancy looking, keeps on working.

This is a Atwater Kent type K-2 Unisparker accessory distributor for a early non-generator car. This one is going on my 1911 Open Runabout.
Todd
Santa Cruz, Ca