MAGNETO TIMER UNIT & CONTINUITY TESTER- E625

BRITISH MADE

The correct of an engine is vital if the best performance is to be achieved. This is easy to set up with this device as at the precise moment that the points open is displayed by the LED indicator

Where a magneto is employed to provide the ignition voltage there is often a coil in circuit connected directly across the points contacts, this creates a difficulty in measuring the timing using conventional methods.

This unit has been designed to completely overcome this difficulty by generating a high frequency signal which can indicate the exact time at which the points open.

Full instructions are provided together with PP3 battery and carry case.

This picture shows how most people adjust the points without this unit. It is not precise because of the thickness of the paper used to measure the gap.

MAGNETO INSTRUCTIONS

THE MAGNETO TIMING LIGHT WILL ALLOW THE USER TO DETERMINE THE EXACT POINT AT WHICH THE POINTS OPEN WITHIN A MAGNETO. THE TIMING OF ANY TYPE OF ROTARY HIGH TENSION MAGNETO CAN BE MEASURED, INCLUDING TYPES. COIL IGNITION SYSTEMS CAN ALSO BE TESTED.

TESTING THE MAGNETO TIMING LIGHT PLUG THE SUPPLIED LEAD INTO THE UNIT AND THE L.E.D SHOULD LIGHT. SHORT THE TWO CLIPS TOGETHER AND THE L.E.D SHOULD THEN GO OUT.

AS SUCH THIS UNIT PERFORMS WELL AS A CONTINUITY TESTER.

DISCONNECT THE JACK PLUG AND SOCKET WHEN NOT IN USE TO PRESERVE THE BATTERY.

MAGNETO TO ENGINE TIMING

ROTATING ARMATURE MAGNETO

CONNECT EITHER CLIP TO THE CENTRE SCREW OF THE CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY. CONNECT THE OTHER CLIP TO THE BODY OF THE CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY. ENSURE THAT THESE CONNECTION POINTS ARE FREE FROM CORROSION.

ROTATING MAGNET MAGNETO

CONNECT EITHER CLIP TO THE TERMINAL OR LEAD CONNECTING THE CONDENSER AND COIL. CONNECT THE OTHER CLIP TO THE BODY OF THE CONTACT BREAKER ASSEMBLY.

WITH THE ABOVE CONNECTIONS MADE TURN THE MAGNETO DRIVE SHAFT TO THE PRECISE POINT WHERE THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES. THIS INDICATES THE MOMENT WHEN THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS OPEN AND THE SPARK OCCURS. THE MAGNETO CAN NOW BE FITTED TO THE ENGINE. BE CAREFUL NOT TO TURN THE SHAFT WHILE FITTING THE MAGNETO TO THE ENGINE A FURTHER CHECK CAN THEN BE MADE. WITH THE CONNECTIONS AS BEFORE TURN THE ENGINE UNTIL THE IGNITION TIMING MARKS ARE ALIGNED. THE L.E.D SHOULD ILLUMINATE AT THIS POINT. SMALL ERRORS CAN OFTEN BE CORRECTED USING DEVICES INCLUDED WITHIN THE MAGNETO COUPLING.

MULTI ENGINES

THE CAP MUST BE REMOVED SO THAT THE SEGMENT TO WHICH THE ROTOR ARM IS POINTING CAN BE DETERMINED, AND THAT THE LEADS ARE CONNECTED TO THE APPROPRIATE CYLINDERS. ENSURE THAT THE SPARK PLUG LEADS ARE CONNECTED IN THE CORRECT . IN MOST MAGNETOS THE ROTOR ARM IS DRIVEN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE DRIVE SHAFT.

IMPULSE START MECHANISM

THE CONNECTIONS ARE MADE AS BEFORE. IF THIS DEVICE IS FITTED TURN THE MAGNETO IN THE USUAL DIRECTION OF ROTATION UNTIL THE IMPULSE START MECHANISM OPERATES. THEN TURN THE MAGNETO BACKWARDS JUST FAR ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS, BUT NOT FAR ENOUGH TO RE-ENGAGE THE PAWLS. NOW TURN THE DRIVE SHAFT FORWARD AGAIN UNTIL THE EXACT POINT THAT THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES.

DUAL MAGNETO SAFETY

ENSURE THAT THE MAGNETO THAT IS NOT BEING WORKED ON IS TURNED OFF, AND THAT THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP IS NOT RE-FITTED UNTIL AFTER THE TIMING CHECKS HAVE BEEN MADE. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF THE ENGINE STARTING.

MANUAL ADVANCE MECHANISM

IN THESE CASES THE MAGNETOS ARE USUALLY TIMED IN THE FULL ADVANCED POSITION, AND THEN RETARDED BY MOVING THE OR CONTACT BREAKER POINTS IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE ROTATION OF THE MAGNETO FOR STARTING/HEAVY LOAD SITUATIONS. THIS ENSURES THAT THE ENGINE CANNOT BE OVER ADVANCED.

AUTO ADVANCE MECHANISM

FOLLOW THE ENGINE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS WITH REGARD TO MAGNETO TIMING TO ENSURE THAT THE ENGINE IS NOT OVER ADVANCED AT HIGH SPEED.

ROTOR ARM TIMING

IN ORDER TO PREVENT EROSION OF THE ROTOR ARM AND DISTRIBUTOR CAP SEGMENTS, AND TO PREVENT STRESSING THE HT WINDINGS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AT THE MOMENT THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS OPEN AND THE SPARK OCCURS THE ROTOR ARM IS POINTING TO A SEGMENT IN THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP, IN BOTH THE MAXIMUM IGNITION ADVANCE AND RETARD POSITIONS. FIRST MAKE A PATTERN OF THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP OUT OF CARDBOARD AND MARK ON Its INNER EDGE THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP SEGMENTS. CHECK THAT THE GAP IS CORRECT BETWEEN THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS AND CONNECT THE TIMING LIGHT AS BEFORE. SET THE ADVANCE/RETARD LEVER TO FULL ADVANCE AND TURN THE MAGNETO IN THE USUAL DIRECTION OF ROTATION UNTIL THE L.ED ILLUMINATES. AT THIS POINT THE ROTOR ARM SHOULD BE OVERLAPPING A SEGMENT BY AT LEAST TWO THIRDS. REPEAT THIS PROCEDURE WITH THE LEVER SET TO FULL RETARD. THE ROTOR ARM SHOULD STILL OVERLAP A DISTRIBUTOR CAP SEGMENT AT THE MOMENT THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES. ALTERATIONS IF NECESSARY CAN BE MADE BY ALTERING THE MESHING OF THE FULL AND HALF SPEED WHEELS.

FAULT FINDING L.E.D DOES NOT LIGHT WHEN CONTACT BREAKER POINTS ARE OPEN.

CHECK THE ENGINE STOP SWITCH IF FITTED IS NOT CLOSED (STOP POSITION) OR THAT ANY WIRING FOR A STOP SWITCH IS NOT EARTHED TO ENGINE OR MAGNETO BODY. CHECK THAT THE CONDENSER IS NOT SHORT CIRCUITED. CHECK THAT THE MAGNETO SECONDARY WINDING IS NOT SHORTED TO EARTH.

L.E.D DOES NOT GO OUT WHEN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER POINTS ARE CLOSED.

ENSURE THAT THE TIMING LIGHT CLIPS, THE MAGNETO CONNECTION POINTS, AND THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS ARE CLEAN AND FREE FROM CORROSION. CHECK THAT THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO THE COIL /TERMINALS ARE NOT BROKEN OR CORRODED. CHECK THAT THE EARTH BRUSH, (ROTATING ARMATURE MAGNETOS) IS NOT WORN OUT, DIRTY, MISSING OR STICKY. (THE EARTH BRUSH IS LOCATED EITHER IN A HOLDER IN THE SIDE OF THE MAGNETO OR UNDER THE BODY OF THE MAGNETO, OR UNDER THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS BASE PLATE ASSEMBLY.)

COIL IGNITION TESTING

CONNECT EITHER CLIP TO THE SIDE CONTACT OR LEAD OF THE DISTRIBUTOR. CONNECT THE OTHER CLIP TO THE BODY OF THE DISTRIBUTOR. ROTATE THE ENGINE TO THE MANUFACTURERS TIMING POINT (USUALLY A FEW DEGREES BEFORE TOP DEAD CENTRE), ENSURING THAT THE ROTOR ARM IS ALIGNED WITH THE DISTRIBUTOR CAP SEGMENT FOR THE FIRING CYLINDER. ROTATE THE DISTRIBUTOR AGAINST THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION UNTIL THE POINT WHERE THE L.E.D LIGHTS. THIS IS THE POINT WHERE THE SPARK OCCURS. TIGHTEN UP THE CLAMP TO SECURE THE DISTRIBUTOR.

CHECKING CAM RING ACCURACY

CAM RING ACCURACY IS IMPORTANT IN THE CASE OF MAGNETOS USED WITH MULTI CYLINDER ENGINES, TWIN CYLINDER ENGINES, OR VEE TWIN ENGINES.

FIRST CUT OUT THE MAGNETO TIMING DISC (OPPOSITE), AND SECURE IT TO THE FRONT OF THE MAGNETO. (A HOOK AND LOOP FASTENER IS SUPPLIED FOR THIS. THE SURFACE WILL NEED TO BE OIL/GREASE FREE IN ORDER FOR THE HOOK/LOOP TO STICK.) THEN ATTACH A STIFF WIRE POINTER TO THE DRIVE SHAFT. THE MAGNETO TIMING LIGHT IS CONNECTED AS DESCRIBED IN THE INSTRUCTIONS. THE DRIVE SHAFT CAN NOW BE TURNED IN ITS USUAL DIRECTION OF ROTATION UNTIL THE POINT WHERE THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES. ENSURING THAT THE SHAFT DOES NOT MOVE, THE POINTER CAN NOW BE ZEROED BY ROTATING THE TIMING DISC. THE SHAFT CAN THEN BE TURNED UNTIL THE POINT WHERE THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES AGAIN, WHERE IN THE CASE OF A SIDE BY SIDE OR HORIZONTALLY OPPOSED TWIN, THE POINTER SHOULD HAVE REACHED THE 180 DEGREE MARK.( AN ERROR OF ONE OR TWO DEGREES IS ACCEPTABLE. GREATER ERRORS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED.) THE SAME PROCEEDURE CAN BE CARRIED OUT FOR VEE TWINS. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BEING THAT THE POINT AT WHICH THE L.E.D ILLUMINATES FOR THE SECOND TIME WILL NOT BE AT THE 180 DEGREE MARK, BUT WILL BE AT A POSITION DETERMINED BY THE FOLLOWING CALCULATION;

360 - ANGLE OF VEE 2

THIS ASSUMES THAT THE CONTACT BREAKER POINTS WERE ON THE CAM FOR THE NUMBER ONE CYLINDER WHEN THE L.E.D ILLUMINATED FOR THE FIRST TIME. WHERE A LARGE DISCREPENCY IS FOUND TRY STARTING FROM THE OTHER CAM TO HELP DETERMINE WHICH CAM IS ASSOCIATED WITH WHICH CYLINDER. THE PICK-UPS CAN BE REMOVED TO SEE THE POSITION OF THE SLIP RING BRASS. IT CAN THEN BE DETERMINED WHICH PICK-UP SHOULD BE CONNECTED TO WHICH CYLINDER.

MAGNETO TIMING DISC