mags vs dist 51 A

bobgfla · Mar 20, 2015

have a 1951 jd A compleatley rebuilt with rebuilt carb. with wico model x mag . ive seem to have head lots of truble over the years with the x mags ,. should I go over to the d r dist or just get another wico x mag??? tractor was running last week but will not start. no spark got new points and cond . but rell y think its the coil . this seams to be a ongoing issue with this one mag . any ideas ????

racsan · Mar 20, 2015

i'll take a mag any day over a distributor, been looking for one to put on a N series ford. the '49 A here at the farm is a mag and if it has enough battery to roll the engine over, it will start, fix the mag...its well worth keeping!

kub6040 · Mar 20, 2015

I prefer distributors over mags as parts are easier to get especially on an electric start , if it were hard start I would say to fix the mag, just my opinion . Jimmy

Paul from MI · Mar 20, 2015

My 41 A is used on light duty around the farm. It never gets hot and plug fouling was a constant problem with a magneto. Wico X is a very reliable mag, and I run them on three other tractors without problems, but these tractors get worked. I switched the old A to a Delco distributor with a Pertronix electronic unit. Plug fouling problem solved and a slow dead smooth idle. That did it for me.

RandyB(MI) · Mar 20, 2015

I second that .

Lee B · Mar 20, 2015

Replacement cost alone is what got me running a distributor and it fixed a background random misfire that under the severe load I put mine under to then stall and die when mag powered. I had to drive it with my hand on the clutch to disengage it quick like if I had two misfires within too short of a time of each other or else I was grinding a fresh battery into the dirt trying to restart every round or so. Generator could not hope to keep up and replacement alternator ran so hot I feared it would give up the ghost. Even with just points which is the way I ran it for a couple of years, I had no further issues with random misfire from a borderline mag. New points, condenser, and coil would not cure the mag, but it does wonders with a standard ignition system. $75 got me a used complete distributor, mag was four times as much IIRC and simply not in the budget at that time.

Loosehandle · Mar 20, 2015

I like mags too, some of these "rebuilt" ones are not worth bringing home.
Get a new one and see the difference!

RLA · Mar 21, 2015

I was going to respond to this tread when I
1st saw it, but desided to wait because I knew
there would be difference in opinions from the
many expeariences people have had.

If you have a mag that works good then you've
a good one.

As for me I prefer an updated distributor, I feel they have better advance & the end result
is better preformance..

But if you have a tractor that sits around
& needs a good spark when it's -20° & the
currant battery isnt' up to snuff you can
have a cold start & poor spark issue.. But
there again I still lean toward a distributor
where & when I can. And it's alot easier to
remove the cap off a distributor to run a dollar bill threw the points than it is a mag.... LOL

bobgfla · Mar 21, 2015

well guys frist I want to thank everyone for there info . went out this moring as this tractor was running good a week ago and dug into the mag it seams the little washer and washer chip head come off and now the points head gone off center fixed that,, then cheaned points and regaped them ( new 2 mouths ago) and greased the cam lob , it started right up and ran perfect like it just came out of factory . it should after all the time and money ive put into it now it just needs a good paint job .

mags vs dist 51 A

bobgfla

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racsan

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kub6040

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Paul from MI

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RandyB(MI)

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Lee B

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Loosehandle

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RLA

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bobgfla

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