Rich'sToys

Well-known Member
Location
Southern MN
My 1940 H has a Fairbanks Morse magneto. It says "Type F.M." on it, and just below that it has the letter J. Just wondering if anyone is familiar with this mag and where to get parts for it.

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My other H has this mag:


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Is this the one referred to as an H-4?

I'm thinking both of these are due for a little attention and just want to make sure I order the right parts if I need them.
Thanks!
 
That Fairbanks is a common mag that was used on the A/C B and C tractors. I use to send people the manual for them by way of e-mail but that computer went belly up. Not long ago I had a place make a copy of 2 mag manuals I have and sent them to Grand papa love for the cost of doing that
 
Yes, "FMJ" and "H-4".

Most any autoparts store should be able to get basic parts such as points for either IF they have someone who knows how to look them up.

ESPECIALLY if they have been around for a long time and have an 'ol gray-haird guy who knows what dusty corner to look in for the paper version of the "Ag and Industrial" ignition parts catalog for their brand.
 
I've found one of the best ways to get the correct part is to simply take the old part with me so they can look at the pictures and match them up
 
that F.M. mag is used on the old SA200 Lincoln welders with the 4 cyl. continental engine. it has been installed on there but not original. so I would think the old massey harris tractors would be using the same mag as they used the same engine also. and now looking at it, it even looks like m. h. paint on it.
 
That second mag looks like the same one that is on my BN, I know last year or maybe the year before I was able to get all the parts from my NAPA dealer.

If you need NAPA part numbers I think I wrote them down some place!

Come to think of it I might have posted those numbers on this forum. Try searching under my name and you might get lucky.
 
You have an IHC model H4 very common and easy to find parts and fairly cheap. The other mag is a Fairbanks Morse type J. That mag was very common on Allis Chalmers tractors up to the model WD.The Allis mag was type J4B3. Parts for the J are more expensive than for the IH. The large distributor cap will be over $100.

Beware there is another Fairbanks mag, The type X. It looks very similar to your type J but the points and the large distributor cap won't fit the type J.
 
(quoted from post at 19:56:39 03/23/20) That second mag looks like the same one that is on my BN, I know last year or maybe the year before I was able to get all the parts from my NAPA dealer.

If you need NAPA part numbers I think I wrote them down some place!

Come to think of it I might have posted those numbers on this forum. Try searching under my name and you might get lucky.

Save you the trouble and did the search myself:

Had to do a quick search here and found the numbers I posted back when I rebuilt my Magneto:

[b:ddb3d6922d]If anyone wants the NAPA numbers these are what I used:
IC1851 ignition coil
IH201 Condenser
IH301 Rotor
IH351 Cap
CS1601 Contacts/points[/b:ddb3d6922d][size=18:ddb3d6922d][/size:ddb3d6922d]
 
So just what attention do you think they need if they have spark use them and don't mess with them. Some think they have to always play with things that are working then end up with a barrel full of problems. So if they start the engines use em.
 
(quoted from post at 21:15:53 03/23/20) So just what attention do you think they need if they have spark use them and don't mess with them. Some think they have to always play with things that are working then end up with a barrel full of problems. So if they start the engines use em.

Gene, that's my intention. It's been at least a year or two since one tractor has been run, and longer for the other one. Right now they're tucked away in the shed. When it warms up the first order of business will be to get the points and everything cleaned up good and see where we are at. Hopefully that's all it will take. But if not, just thinking ahead--in case I do need to replace points or something I just wanted to know what I had.

Thanks to everyone for the replies!!
 
I'd try to start them before even touching any thing and then trouble shoot from there. You have a 50/50 chance the points will be ok and work. The FMJ mag is easy to get out of time when you try to get to the points
 

I'm sure that's what I'll do. As I mentioned, just thinking ahead, just in case. The pole building they are stored in has been known to have some condensation issues when the seasons change. There have been times in the past on other tractors where the points have gotten corroded and needed to be cleaned up. Hopefully I'll get lucky!
 
I would look for another H-4 and bless somebody else with the Fairbanks simply
because I can get what I need for the H-4 and can fix it no problem. Great
magneto, as is the F-4 also.
 
Just a follow up. I pushed the H with the Fairbanks mag into the shop the other day. It was producing no spark. I pulled the cap off and cleaned a ton of corrosion off the points and also cleaned everything else up good as well. After I put it back together it was producing spark at the plugs. This tractor has no starter so I cranked it. It fired several times but would not start--got real close, but no go.
Then after reading some other threads on this forum I went out today and replaced the Autolite spark plugs with D-21 Champions. Then after a few turns of the crank she fired up!

Haven't got to the other H yet with the H4. Hopefully the results with that one will be just as positive.
 

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