Magneto puzzle

Ok, I have my shiny new '39 H home and off the trailer. I filed the points, fresh gas, and was able to pull start it to load it and mower.

BUT, the magneto cap was wired 180 out. I got the book in, and took magneto off, verified the drive was at 2:30/8:00. I set the little gears up with the R pointing at the chamfered tooth. Put everything back together, and rotor pointed to 4:00 with #1 cyl at TDC. Checked that 3 times. wired it accordingly with:
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Started it with crank. took several pulls, but no kickback, and it seemed to run smooth. It was getting dark, and was able to see flame from exhaust. (no muffler yet). It didn't run hot, but seemed weak, so I vowed to try again.

Yesterday, I advanced the rotor gear one tooth, (may have been off by that much). Went by the book timing it again. Started MUCH easier. No flame from exhaust, and it seems a good bit stronger.

BUT, it is still wired
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because #1 at TDC looks like the #3 tower is about to fire.

Starts with 4 pulls (2 full choke, 2 half choke at 1/2 throttle. I think I can fine-tune starting and get it down to 2 or 3 pulls.)

One other note: I tried the 7:00-11:00 pull, and either I'm a pansy, or something else is odd. The crank will just roll back w/o tripping impulse if I don't pull it past 12:00. Even my very large step-son can't do it.

I've got the tractor timed for 2 degrees or so ATDC, and it has never attempted to kick back.

Serial # is below 2500.

I'm thinking the problem has to be in the little gears, but I tried as carefully as I could to make the R line up with the notched tooth on the small gear. Anyone seen anything like this?

I'm good with the way the tractor starts and runs, and I'll leave it alone, but it is going to confuse the heck out of anyone just looking at it.

Firing order is 1342 CLOCKWISE

That is the way he has it. I run in to that one time before. Something about the ears on the impulse are different & the governor gears have been timed different to compensate. It will run just fine the way it is.

If it runs that way the cam is out of time with the crank and that is sure not the way to run an engine just wont do the valves any favor. He has problems

Hmm. I would think that it is just the gear drive for the magneto that would be out of time.

I will pull the valve cover and verify valve adjustments. I need to do that anyway.

I guess it does answer the question of whether or not this engine has been rebuilt, however. I doubt it left the factory timed like this.

Are you sure you had No1 piston near the radiator at tdc on the compression stroke. You may have timed it on No4 cylinder. When No1 piston is a tdc on the compression stroke your rotor should pointing to the No1 plug tower on your cap that's around one o'clock. Hal

Yes. Compression found by holding thumb over sparkplug hole on cylinder next to radiator.

Prev owner had timed it to #4, thus being 180 off.

I think I found the problem. I re-read the instructions again, while inside and in good light, and not trying to git it done.

I missed the step about turning the coupling CCW to get the rotor back to #1 tower. I will try that when I can get my helper back. He's been busy the last couple of days.

Crank & cam are in time. Governor gear is changed. He has a mag that was used on a Continental engine. Impulse lugs are like a FM mag.