Monitor-Mag fired??

I have a 1 1/4 HP Baker Monitor that I run with a battery and buzz coil. I would like to hook it up to run with a magneto. I do have a Wico EK I could use. Did some of these engines come equipped with a Mag? If so... does any one have pictures or drawings of the Mag bracket and trip mechanism?

http://www.oldengine.org/members/pml/littlemonitor.html this site has what your looking for. I have tried to get a pattern or a loaner to have one cast but no luck.

This has been discussed on the SEL a few times as well. I believe all or most of the Monitors sold in Australia had the Dixie mags, while the US versions had the coil set up.

Why do you want to make the change?

[Harry]

An odd mag set-up to say the least. How do you set the timing with such a large gear ratio? Is there a separate timing switch? No impulse start?

-- Harry


http://www.old-engine.com/monitor.htm

The gear ratio on the magneto fired monitor has the magneto running at crankshaft speed. You do have to wind the engine over reasonably fast to get it to fore but it seems to start easily There is no impulse on the magneto, it is just a standard Dixie. I have yet to see a Monitor in Oz without a magneto so I thought they were all made that way... until I discovered the fact the the US engines don't tend to have magnetos fitted. I am eventually going to see if it is possible to get a few tanks made with the factory magneto mount as a few US freinds have expressed intrest. It seems to have been a trend to have magnetos fitted on US engines sold here. My early F&J Farm Pumper has a factory magneto and all the F-M Eclipse engines I have seen here have magnetos fitted.


My Monitor Page

Do these Magnetos just generate current to run a buzz coil?? It looks as though the tank is turned around backwards or am I seeing something backwards???

I just dislike having to keep a battery close by, and keep it charged, you know....not a big deal but all my other engines are mag fired, and I thought I would get rid of the Buzz boxes too! Do you disagree? Thanks for the post!

No, I don't disagree. If you could manage to get one of our Aussie friends to hunt you down the original equipment to make it mag fired, that would make an interesting display in the U.S.

On the other hand, originality is good, as is the variety of being able to display and talk about different types of ignition systems.

There is no wrong answer when its your engine in my opinion.

The tank on the magneto engines is a different casting to the non-magneto engine. In fact there are at least two different tank castings. The magneto mount is cast to the rear of the tank so the magneto sits above the big gear. One of the tank styles (pictured) has an indentation cast into the tank to allow for the magneto. There is no buzz coil, just the high tension Dixie. The spark plug lead runs behind the tank to the spark plug on the front of the engine.


My Monitor Page

Thanks for all the info! Just to be sure...The detent does latch up and the engine makes and breaks...but the mag fires on a timed basis, probably on every other revolution. Right??

some of the latter monitors (pump engines) that were built up to 1948, could be bought with a wico EK mag on them. as I recall the linkage was on an eccentric on the end of the cam gear.there are not alot of these around.

Steve- I have a Monitor with the EK Wico. It rund off the other side of the cam with a little trip lever and 2 cushion springs. I had a hard time getting it to work so I went back to the buzz coil. The spring tension is critical to getting trip action. There is a arm on the fuel tank to hang the mag from.


monitor with EK

The govenor system still works exactly the same as the battery engines. I think the mag may spark on every rotation (I may be wrong perhaps one of the magneto guys will know). I have the magneto timed so that the points start to open just before TDC on the compression stroke.

Steve I believe I have a complete EK conversion I will sell for the Monitor pump engine. Email if interested.