Magneto with breakerless conversion?

JDEM

Well-known Member
I am wondering if anyone here has tried to eliminate the points in a magneto. I have had it with the mag in my little Oliver crawler-dozer. Note - this is not a "collector" dozer. It is a user. I use it a lot for building trails in the Michigan Upper Peninsula.

Oliver "Cletrac" HG with the Hercules IXB-3 engine and aux trans. Great little machine.

Two chronic problems.

#1 - After storing all winter (outdoors but under cover) it never starts in the Spring. Magneto always dead due to corrosion on the points.

#2 - Magneto gets so hot after running around 2 hours in summer weather - it loses spark. Once it cools down, I can run for a few hours again.

Note - the magneto is impossible to work on while bolted to the engine. So, even to just clean the points I have to remove it. A LOT of work.

I keep three magnetos on hand. All three have the same issues. Fairbanks Morse FMJ4, Wico XH1113, and a new Aviation-type mag. I don't know if the quality of points has gone downhill over the years?

I have just about had it with fooling with this thing. I will say though that once I get it going in the Spring, it starts fine all summer and fall. Still has what seems to be a magneto coil overheating issue though.

I am hoping to find a battery-ignition type distributor to take the place of the magneto but it cannot be right-angle drive. It has to have the same footprint as a mag or will not fit. I have a Wico XB distributor that fits fine but I know of no good way to convert to breakerless.

So, I am wondering if anyone here has tried a conversion?

I am going to call Zimmermans (if they are still in business) and see if they have any ideas.
 
I know of no-one who has converted a magneto to breakerless operation.

That said, as contact sets are no longer used in large quantities by consumers, the quality has deteriorated dramatically in recent decades. I'm sure that it makes no difference if such sets are intended for use in distributors or magnetos, automobiles or industrial equipment, etc.

I suspect that if you could find a NOS set manufactured 25+ years ago, you would be good to go for a decade or more. Don't know if this is possible.

A common mistake made by folks these days is the use of a point file. The anti corrosion plating (if any) of currently available contact sets is so very thin that a single use of a point file will remove it. Once removed, there is no corrosion protection so corrosion induced failure becomes routine.

Good luck.

Dean
 
As I stated, I have two separate issues.

#1 points corroded every winter while in storage.

#2 the overheating issue is NOT a bad coil. I have three different mags and all have the same issue. Also, both the Fairbanks and the Wico have brand new coils and it made no difference.

In fact, I took the old coil out of the Wico and now have it in another tractor and it can run all day with no issues.

The mag in this Oliver gets too hot. What exactly gets so hot the spark weakens - I do not know. I DO know it is a heat issue.

I think the mag runs so hot because the exhaust manifold is too close to it on this Hercules engine.
 
Yes, I suspect the points quality is the issue. Also yes, I have filed them but only because I had little choice at the time.
 
The Pertronic system uses magnetic "feel" of the existing cam lobes going past a sensor. Purchasing a kit for? then remounting the module to your distributor backing plate so it fits would be my choice. I would also make a heat dam to place over the new ignition. Aluminum foil backed Isocyanurate construction foam is heat resistant. Keep it as far from the exhaust manifold as possible. When making the module fit, be sure to position the pickup sensor where the rubbing block was located to assist in timing the engine. Jim
 
I called Zimmermans. I think it had been over 10 years since I last called. To my surprise, they are still in business.

He told me what people are often doing to fix similar starting issues is this. Converting to a battery-ignition distributor from a Farmall Cub and using a Pertronix breakerless kit in it.

It also seems in my specific case, I might have to get a new exhaust manifold also. The exhaust manifold I have now is a bit of a mystery. I have had this machine near 30 years and it had this "mystery" manifold on it when I got it. The original would of had the leters "OLIVER" and sat higher and further away from the mag. This one reads "HERCULES" and sits much closer. So close that carb does not fit without a special sort of off-set adapter that was there when I got this. So far, I have not found anybody who can ID this manifold. Even the boys at Zimmermans have not seen one like it.

Great people over there. He has a used OEM "OLIVER" exhaust manifold for $125 that I think I am going to buy. Next - I am looking for a Farmall Cub distributor to work over. Here is a photo of my engine with the odd-ball exhaust manifold.
cvphoto25873.jpg
 
I was wondering the same thing. I have over a dozen of those modules laying around. All new-old-stock. Several different brand names. I know Atom is one. I have tried installing a few on old outboard motors with poor success.

That said, those modules came in several versions. I kind of lost track what was supposed to work with what.

That is why I asked here. I do not want to get involved in any "trial and error" experiments out in the woods.
 
I csan"t understand why they put the mag next to the exhaust manifold. Is it possible to make a sheet metal heat shield to mount between the two?
 
My HG had a distributor that was in a case like a mag. Never had any problem with it. Points are no good anymore, just plated crap. Save any old point's found, reface with dremel.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top