mike paulson
Member
hey guy's what would it take to convert a distributor to a magneto on a IH 300?
- Thread starter mike paulson
- Start date
You look to see your rotor is pointing on your distributor and make a sketch so you don't forget. Disconnect the battery voltage wire from the ignition switch to your auto coil and remove the wire and coil.
Once you have your sketch made where the rotor is pointing remove the distributor. THEN DON'T MOVE THE ENGINE. Rotate the rotor on the mag so it points to the same spot as in your sketch and install the mag. You need to install a switch
that will ground out the mag to stop the engine.
You need to make sure the mag is firing before installing it. Hal
Once you have your sketch made where the rotor is pointing remove the distributor. THEN DON'T MOVE THE ENGINE. Rotate the rotor on the mag so it points to the same spot as in your sketch and install the mag. You need to install a switch
that will ground out the mag to stop the engine.
You need to make sure the mag is firing before installing it. Hal
Tom Fleming
Well-known Member
El Toro beat me to the first response which was going to be, "uh, get a working H4 magneto".
Very simple. you need a mag grounding switch (single wire) and have your engine at TDC on #1 when you remove the distributor. Install mag with the same rotor orientation at 2:00 (some say 1:00, but you get the picture). Put plug wires back on and have at it.
I applaud you for making the change. I prefer mags to battery ignition any day. Not many people share my opinion on that.
Very simple. you need a mag grounding switch (single wire) and have your engine at TDC on #1 when you remove the distributor. Install mag with the same rotor orientation at 2:00 (some say 1:00, but you get the picture). Put plug wires back on and have at it.
I applaud you for making the change. I prefer mags to battery ignition any day. Not many people share my opinion on that.
Janicholson
Well-known Member
With no offense to mag users, or those who want to or must operate W/O starting Batteries..... Magnetos are OK for hand cranking a tractor if the battery is dead. A distributor has a full range of centrifugal advance. Curved to follow engine performance, the Distributor retards the timing correctly to let tractors idle smoothly and with good response and efficiency at modest throttle settings. A mag has only two settings for timing, one for starting (impulse delay at TDC) and full advance for all running conditions from idle to Wide open. Distributor tractors are substantially smoother at idle. Manufacturers would be using them today if they were better. Jim
Tom Fleming
Well-known Member
Jim, no offense taken. On a working tractor, i am 100% in agreement with you. On show queens, and seldom used ones, I like the mags. My F-20 is the best starting tractor I own, with my A a close 2nd.......both have mags. Keeping batteries up to full charge (when not frequently used) or cold start at -10 I still believe a mag can't be beat.
PS. Don't forget that the F4 and E4A mags have fully adjustable timing on them. The H4's and J4's, I once again agree with you.
PS. Don't forget that the F4 and E4A mags have fully adjustable timing on them. The H4's and J4's, I once again agree with you.
Janicholson
Well-known Member
True it is. I think I like the idle and low speed
smoothness of a retarded spark for tinkering around
though. Just me. Jim
smoothness of a retarded spark for tinkering around
though. Just me. Jim
Owen Aaland
Well-known Member
Since the tractor now has a distributor it is possible that the hydraulic pump gear is not correctly timed with the cam gear. If the magneto drive tangs do not line up with drive slots when the magneto rotor is in the correct position the hydraulic pump may have to come off to retime the gear.
A Mag is great to have if you have a dead battery and, of course, a necessity for non battery tractors. HOWEVER they in general produce less spark energy then a good working battery powered coil distributor ignition. Mind you they can be designed to produce more energy (hey look at older airplane mags) I'm just saying the run of the mill antique tractor mags dont develop the spark energy as a coil distributor set up. The faster the mag turns the more spark energy while a coil distributor ignition produces the same regardless of tractor RPM provided theres sufficient dwell time. A coil ignition problem, however, can be if the battery is low (esp in 6 volt systems) the available coil voltage is reduced so the starting spark is weak
As Jim noted the main advantage of the coil distributor ignition is the variable advance timing versus RPM function that a mag lacks.
They both have advanatages and disadvantages, your tractor your choice
Like Fox News I try to report and you decide
John T
As Jim noted the main advantage of the coil distributor ignition is the variable advance timing versus RPM function that a mag lacks.
They both have advanatages and disadvantages, your tractor your choice
Like Fox News I try to report and you decide
John T
I restored 5 or 6 Standardtwin garden tractors back in the 1970's. They all had mags and would start easily when hand cranking. I also had a Viking I bought in 1960 and I had a problem with the mag and I took in where I worked as they had a machine for testing mags made in Germany. This was before the Army switched to diesel engines in everything. Some of those gas tank engines had 4 mags.
They put my old mag on the machine and said the coil was weak. The man doing the testing reached under the bench and took out a coil and started grinding on it to fit. I said won't that ruin the coil and he said if it does we have plenty more coils. That man had a 1937 Lincoln car with a V12 engine. His son replaced me when I retired and he still has that car. I would hate to buy gas for it. Hal
PS: I always removed the mag when I was finished with the tractor and kept it in where it was dry. I marked the mag with finger nail polish so it was always in time when I reinstalled it.
They put my old mag on the machine and said the coil was weak. The man doing the testing reached under the bench and took out a coil and started grinding on it to fit. I said won't that ruin the coil and he said if it does we have plenty more coils. That man had a 1937 Lincoln car with a V12 engine. His son replaced me when I retired and he still has that car. I would hate to buy gas for it. Hal
PS: I always removed the mag when I was finished with the tractor and kept it in where it was dry. I marked the mag with finger nail polish so it was always in time when I reinstalled it.
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