Timer questions

[Oldav8tor]

I'm going to be doing a little presentation at the Piquette Museum on timers and want to make sure I have my facts right. Am I correct that the only NEW timers currently available are the New Day and Anderson for mechanical timers and the E-Timer which is electronic? I believe the TW timer was very popular but is out of production. I also understand that replacement brushes are available for the original Ford or Tiger timer but not new caps. Is this correct?

If anyone knows something that would help me to provide those in attendance with the best info on the subject, please share.

[NealW]

Snyder's makes (I believe) and sells new complete roller timers. I just put one of them on our 1911 touring.

[RVA23T]

I-timer as well. It's inductive/magnetic pick up is more like a timer in my mind vs the E-timer which is more electronic and self regulating.

[DanTreace]

I-timer as well. It's inductive/magnetic pick up is more like a timer in my mind vs the E-timer which is more electronic and self regulating.

Absolutely, the I-Timer is for us flywheel magneto guys

The E-Timer runs only on DC, for those unfortunate Fords with disabled flywheel magnetos.

While you can’t start on mag as the I-Timer needs juice to initial fire, once running on DC Bat, just switch to Mag, and hear those rpms pick up due to the higher AC volts from the magneto that properly drive the vibrator coils as intended for hottest spark. Engine performance is enhanced too by the I-Timer , works on DC or AC, the best timer ever IMO.

[DHort]

I will agree with you Dan, but I also have a brand new Anderson under the back seat just in case.

[DanTreace]

I will agree with you Dan, but I also have a brand new Anderson under the back seat just in case.

Dave

Good plan. I too carry spare timers, but have only used them to help others on tours

The I-Timer is now going on 7 years duty on my ‘27 touring, and never a blip!

[RVA23T]

To me, Mike Kosser's timers are the equivalent of Jeff Stevenson's Voltage Regulators. I don't get even trying to use a distributor or finding better roller & flapper timers with the exception of having a major oil leak at the gear cover which should be repaired so you can run an I-Timer!
Well i guess there is still the ultra mega purist issue on 2nd thought.

[Steve Jelf]

The last I knew, somebody was still selling Crystal timers. I believe the seller had a sizeable stash of them inherited from a relative. Their Achilles heel was the pot metal which changed over 100 years. It seems to me that somebody found a solution to that problem. Maybe somebody with a better memory cal tell us about them.

[Humblej]

I ran a Crystal timer for a year or so. Steve is right, the original pot metal band was a problem due to it changing its size over the 100 years sitting in storage. Bob Scherzer made replacement aluminum bands that solved the problem, but after Bob died there are none being made. I found over time the glass chipped away from around the metal contacts and did not last any longer than a New Day that does the same. It was the same concept as a New Day except the wear surface is made of Pyrex glass and in theory it is harder so should wear better than bakelite, but harder chips easier and in the end it is not an improvement. I did like seeing the sparking thru the glass at night.

I went to the Snyders site after reading Neals post regarding new USA made Ford style timers and I applaud Langs for offering them. I am currently running a Tiger timer, made in Japan, those have not been available for a long time. Tiger timers were almost identical to the Ford timer, the only difference I could tell was the oiler.

The longest lasting timer for me is an original ANCO (Anderson style) timer. The original rotor/flapper wore out after 15 years and the new repro rotor/flapper is too small to fit my Canadian camshaft or I would still be using it.

[Moxie26]

Hey Jeff .... Did you ever have the original ANCO flapper spring pop out?