Starting

PaulB

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Thankyou Sid will get the mag checked can you recomend anybody for that.....Ady

Barry Bassett is a member of the Coventry section and has rebuilt countless mags and dynamos, including mine with excellent results. Send me a PM and I'll give you his telephone number.

Paul
 
B

bigsid

Guest
I suggest you contact Doug Wood ,

Thanks for getting back to me, my bike has a standard mag and uses NGK BP6EV plugs im not sure if the plug caps have resistors though. It originally had Champion plugs but appears to like NGK's better. When kicking the bike over I get a nice blue spark at the points and at the plugs....Ady
Doug Wood , RR4 Box 534 , 28 Hess Rd., Boyertown , Pa., 19512 . 1- 610- 3697855 . Does superb work on magnetos and generators . Stands behind his work . Fine gentleman . High standards , Sid .
 

Tom Gaynor

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Magnetos, observations from experience

Firstly, hello Sid, nice to see you here.
Secondly, I've used Barry Basset (2 race mags) and Dave Lindsley (1 race mag and 2 road mags) with good results.
A new name on the block is Simon Linford, in Meigle in Perthshire. If Simon does mags (he does now) like he does everything else Vincent, it'll be stunning work delivered when he tells you it'll be delivered, or sooner. He's on 01828 640 525.
FWIW I pass on what I've learned, mainly through using Lucas 2MTT mags on Manx Nortons.
Regardless apparently of who builds them, not excluding Lucas and BTH, they don't last forever, and when they starts to miss, the condenser has probably started to fail, as they do.
Establishing what the problem is may require putting it on a hotplate to test. This has happened to all of my racing mags, which tested OK at normal temperatures. Vincents aren't normally thrashed at 8000 rpm for 20 minutes at a time, so the mags last longer.
Rebuilt mags don't last as long as Lucas built mags. I've been told this is because Lucas used better condensors.
It really IS important not to use resistor plug caps (alas that means I can't use my favourite NGK caps) and non-resistor caps aren't sold in every corner shop. I think Armours sell them. I can say from personal experience that my Shadow mag, untouched for 50 years, worked OK with caps sold to me as non-resistor, which were in fact 5K ohm. When in error I used resistor plugs as well, it killed it stone dead.
One reason the bike didn't start too well, or go too well, was that on checking, the apparently original ATD had 50 degrees of advance, not 30. ATD's CERTAINLY don't last forever, and buying a new one from Roy Price is to be recommended.
Comet mags seem to give more problems than twin mags. This is something to do with the bearings, possibly too small, or possibly now irreplaceable unless the mag is modified. If anyone has more information on this, I'd be very interested, but I was told it first 10 years ago by a mag repairer, and I've heard the same from others.
Francois Grosset's coil ignition system eliminates all magneto problems.

Hi Ady,

I'm not best placed to recommend but the three I know of are below and perhaps other members who have had personal experience could add their comments on the work standard, time for turnaround and costs?:

1 - Stuart Towner
He's currently re-building a dynamo for me and I have visited his workshops - he is extremely busy and is quoting a 3 month turnaround at least although you could take your magneto down to him and he might test it whilst you wait if you contacted him before hand - his details are in the back of MPH. I have been recommended his work by a number of people I trust and the workshop sure as anything looked the real business to me - he took the business over from his father I think.

2 - Dave Lindsley
He used to be the name to go to when I was in the VOC in the 1970's but doesn't seem to advertise in MPH now - he does advertise in Old Bike Mart and perhaps someone else on the Forum can give you a view on whether he is still worth trying.

3 - Paul Lydford - APL Magnetos
He has just rebuilt a Miller Dynamo for me - I have yet to fit and try it but speaking to him he appeared to me to be a decent guy and knows his stuff - he charged me very reasonably for the job I thought and it was done very quickly. He does the Autojumble circuit so may well be well known. Again - other members may be able to verify whether or not he is a good bloke.

If I can help you with any contact details please send me a private message.

Regards

Stuart
 

BlackLightning998

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Ady - looks like the Forum may have done the trick for you?

Ady,

Excluding my own - clearly some great advice from years of experience and the offer to put you in touch with people who can help.

Sounds to me like the Forum may have scored?

Cheers and keep everybody posted on the outcome so they can learn from your experience too.

Stuart



Firstly, hello Sid, nice to see you here.
Secondly, I've used Barry Basset (2 race mags) and Dave Lindsley (1 race mag and 2 road mags) with good results.
A new name on the block is Simon Linford, in Meigle in Perthshire. If Simon does mags (he does now) like he does everything else Vincent, it'll be stunning work delivered when he tells you it'll be delivered, or sooner. He's on 01828 640 525.
FWIW I pass on what I've learned, mainly through using Lucas 2MTT mags on Manx Nortons.
Regardless apparently of who builds them, not excluding Lucas and BTH, they don't last forever, and when they starts to miss, the condenser has probably started to fail, as they do.
Establishing what the problem is may require putting it on a hotplate to test. This has happened to all of my racing mags, which tested OK at normal temperatures. Vincents aren't normally thrashed at 8000 rpm for 20 minutes at a time, so the mags last longer.
Rebuilt mags don't last as long as Lucas built mags. I've been told this is because Lucas used better condensors.
It really IS important not to use resistor plug caps (alas that means I can't use my favourite NGK caps) and non-resistor caps aren't sold in every corner shop. I think Armours sell them. I can say from personal experience that my Shadow mag, untouched for 50 years, worked OK with caps sold to me as non-resistor, which were in fact 5K ohm. When in error I used resistor plugs as well, it killed it stone dead.
One reason the bike didn't start too well, or go too well, was that on checking, the apparently original ATD had 50 degrees of advance, not 30. ATD's CERTAINLY don't last forever, and buying a new one from Roy Price is to be recommended.
Comet mags seem to give more problems than twin mags. This is something to do with the bearings, possibly too small, or possibly now irreplaceable unless the mag is modified. If anyone has more information on this, I'd be very interested, but I was told it first 10 years ago by a mag repairer, and I've heard the same from others.
Francois Grosset's coil ignition system eliminates all magneto problems.
 
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