F-4 Magnetos

Fritz Maurer · Aug 26, 2011

Does anyone know a magneto guy who recharges magnets? I heard recently that magnets lose their strength over time, is this true? The spark is blue, but it's not fat. It looks rather anemic. I have to belt it to another tractor to start it, my 11-year-old son gives it a whiff of ether, hand cranks it, and it starts right up. F12, by the way. Thanks, Fritz

Nebraska Kirk · Aug 26, 2011

I rebuild magnetos and I always recharge the magnets on non-permanent magnet magnetos as part of the rebuilding process. I have always read and heard that if the magnet is removed, then it can loose magnetism, unless a steel bar is place across the poles to complete the magnetic field. If your spark is weak I would suspect bad coil or condenser first.

Tom Fleming · Aug 27, 2011

Kirk knows his stuff and is correct. The iron bar used across both poles on a horseshoe magnet is called a "keeper". Yes, they do slowly lose magetism over time. However, as Kirk indicated, there are other things to check first. Points, condensor, and coil for starters. Although, if you are getting spark, but it is weak, coil is probably not your issue.

Fritz Maurer · Aug 27, 2011

Everything is new (well, not BRAND new, but only a
few years old, had this problem a long time) and
yes, I did have the magnet off for quite a long
time, maybe a week, without the iron bar. How do you
recharge them? Fritz.

John M · Aug 27, 2011

Will it hold onto the side of the tractor? If so its fine, if not theres instrcuions in the archives, or perhaps google will turn it up faster than the search here.

James Williams · Aug 27, 2011

Fritz,Allways remember your working on the most contankerous machine farmall ever made,theres about 6 things that has to be perfect before they will start easy.My F12 will start if you just walk by it but the other night at the fair in front of a lot of people it made a fool out of me

jimmy

Fritz Maurer · Aug 27, 2011

It really has a few other issues, it was pretty much cobbled together during my inexperienced high school days; the engine really needs to come out and get it done the right way. Example: New crankshaft gear with timing mark in wrong place; new cam bearings in warped block, bored out center bearing w/ oil pump drive gear to get it in (no oil pressure), JB weld inside block (water jacket). It was always a miserable starting S.O.B. that's why this project is taking so long. Nobody wants to look at it!!

Ron W · Aug 28, 2011

Unless the tractor is complelety work out, it should start right up. The carb needs to be cleaned out, a wire run though all the holes/jets, and the float set right. If not, then you will crank until the cows come home. As for the magneto, make sure the IHC stamp on the magnet is facing out; otherwise the polarity is backwards. I usually have an old good sparkplug gapped out to 1/8". If it will fire that, then it will fire in the cylinder. As for magnet charging....IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE! I build a magnet charger so that I can charge all of my magnetos from now on after I service them.
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F-4 Magnetos

Fritz Maurer

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Nebraska Kirk

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Tom Fleming

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Fritz Maurer

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John M

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James Williams

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Fritz Maurer

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Ron W

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