1913 Magneto Start Problems Solved

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: 1913 Magneto Start Problems Solved
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Karl Gilchrist on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:34 am:

I brought my 1913 Model T some 6 months ago ever since I have had it it has started fine on battery but only every so often on magneto and only then when hot. Even though people said forget it as it starts fine on battery it still bugged me as I know in 1913 most didn't have or even need a battery!!

I have obtained a set of Rons coils, set the timing and checked magneto output countless times, changed the plugs to original , Changed the timing loom and timer all to no avail . Ron has reinforced the correct magneto starting procedure many times but still no joy . I have wound it until I thought I would have a heart attack with not a flicker of life on mag

However I finally located the problem it was the coilbox. I went to replace the coilbox wood with John Reagans kit and discovered that the old coil box was deformed Nothing was square and everything was shimmed with cardboard to make things fit Not only that but the soldering on the box and switch was badly done and the contacts had a layer of crud on them which had been spoiling the electrical contacts

A new coilbox and a new fit out with John's kit and contacts and then back in. The car now starts on Magneto first pull time after time Hot and cold with no problems. I'm like a kid with a new toy . A big thank you goes out to Ron the coilman who has stuck with me through this whole frustrating process -Karl


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush Portland Oregon on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:44 am:

Great! Starting on mag is fun. Thanks for passing on your fixes. My coils which were setup on a HCCT and are all about the same value, engine seems to favor one coil over the rest when I start on mag cold. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 01:26 am:

Actually, a good lesson to be learned.

My '15 was always started on 'Batt' simply because that side of the switch was wired to a lantern battery and it worked and if the lantern battery was low...well that other side never quite got it and it was a push start.

Just to give it a treat (and because it was always a mule midday and I suspected the morning wash had something to do with that) I ordered up a John kit, took the time to soak off all crud from the bolts and contacts...polished them up nice and bright and gave them a coat of electro-clean follow by de-ox when dry...simply because I had the stuff and this was a fun project (pun intended)for a Saturday morning. Going to be good as new, pulled out the old soldering iron I learned on at about 7 or 8...looks like an open furnace iron with a 2" round plug and a huge cloth covered cord (ha) and remembered everything my Daddy had taught me about soldering to make it all tight and pretty at the same time and now Dad was helping in spirit.

A short while later Bob Jablonski stops over (no mean feat, its maybe 55 miles or so to just 'stop by') and Bob has his coil rebuild 'shop' in the back of his station wagon. 2+2=4 and by the time he was done every coil in my garage had been gone through on a why not basis, even a few new ones.

Bob looks over to the '15 Bob says 'you start it on mag?' to which the reply was 'nah' and Bob said, 'flip the switch to mag and set the spark' and..........yessir it does! :-)

Yep I think using the "Fun Projects" rebulid kit is a fun project, and take the time to do it right and tight...then you know...any issue isn't going to be in the box!

(I also let the porcelains seep in a jar of ammonia that I shook every now and then...dried them out ahead of time...good as new with a wipe down but they were the glazed ones!)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 12:58 pm:

This just plain sorriness and laziness and I'm gonna admit that up front. My TT has a regular 6v Group 1 battery and electric start. My wife's Touring is hand crank only and has a lantern battery for ignition. The truck battery had LONG since ceased to have enough power to run the starter. No biggy. I hand crank anyway, so I never replaced the battery until after it would no longer even fire the coils. THAT is when I decided to start cranking on magneto. Before then, I had come to the conclusion that it would only start on mag when it was warm. But I never HAD to start it on magneto. When you HAVE to start it on magneto, you learn how. I didn't have a system problem. I just had a technique problem. Once you figure out the right combination of spark advance and priming, it's no problem at all. So when the lantern battery on the Touring got weak, starting on magneto was not a big deal. So much so, that we've been telling ourselves "Next time we go to the store, we need to get some lantern batteries for the Touring", but we never seem to remember. Been going on for weeks now. I do need to do that though, because the brake light is hooked up to the two lantern batteries in series. And it is probably getting dim. The coils run on just one of them. I do swap them around when one gets weak, then swap the coils to the same post as the brake light so I get every last bit of juice out of them.:-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Nebraska on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 03:17 pm:

As long as we're on magnetos, I'm having trouble getting a Bosch mag set up properly. I reset the points (they were much too close together), and they are about 24 thousandths now. I saw a chart saying the points on a DU 6 mag and plugs should both be 19 thous.

I have to pull the point cover off and "guess" on the setting, then put things back together (in a small area between two manifolds, using a mirror and needing much smaller hands and fingers). Now the points are wider than .19 but the mag works much better, down to idle. However, if I go completely to idle, the mag output stops, and the engine dies.

For better mag output at low speed/idle, do you think I need a little wider, or go to narrower point setting? Again, the mag is much better now than it was at a narrow gap (barely opening).

I'll probably start a separate thread about this too, unless anyone reading this has an opinion, wider or narrower? Also, the car won't start on mag (this thread made me think of that), even with a starter. I've started another Model K with Bosch DU 6 on mag, so I know it should work, but nothing.

Thanks,

Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 03:57 pm:

My roadster would never start on MAG, and when the engine was opened up for a rebuild I found out why. There was so much end play in the crankshaft you could just about drive a truck through the magneto gap. I'm looking forward to getting the car back together and giving it a spin.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Schubert on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 04:17 pm:

Rob
I am no expert on Bosch Magnetos, but this comes to mind;
1. A smaller point gap will increase the dwell time so that the coil has more time to build magnetic field.
2. Maybe try recharging the magnets. We all know that T magnets can usually use a recharging. Bosch magnets can probably benefit too.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Nebraska on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 04:26 pm:

Les,
Thanks, I started a thread on this too. The mag was recently rebuilt and supposedly the magnets and winding is good. I'll probably try to get it to .19 and see if this makes a difference.

It is close to working well I really don't want to change it unless I think it'll improve. We have the original Holley magneto along with another DU 6 that I'll have rebuilt sometime. Thanks again,


Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 04:43 pm:

Rob,

Since everything is in such close quarters, would it make sense to pull the magneto, set the points on the bench, then re-install it?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Heyen - Nebraska on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 04:52 pm:

Hal,
I'd rather have a root canal.....

A little hard to get to, especially with the "belly pan" on. I'll just try hit and miss, but would like to have an idea if wider or closer points might get me there.

Thanks,
Rob


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Davis-SE Georgia on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 - 06:51 pm:

Lol.


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