Magneto got a little moisture

[oliverbutthead]

Hello

I have an XD-1B7U Magneto that I had opened up to adjust the breaker point gap and I put it back together without replacing the seal. The Wisconsin would fire up on first pull and run great. That is until it sat a while and it rained for 2 weeks straight here in Texas.

I tried to fire it up yesterday and it would not go. I opened the Magneto and found it had a little moisture in it If it has a chance to dry out good enough, will it work again? Or are there parts that are most likely fried in it?

If it is fried, I have a lead on a Fairbanks Morse FM X1B7E. Could this model work as a replacement?

Thanks for any help.

[Patrick McNallen]

It will probably work all right if you take the cover off and allow it dry out completely. I would give it several days to dry out on a sunny window sill or out in the hot sun, but protected from morning dew. You will probably need to use a point file to clean the points, since they probably have some corrosion on them. If the points "look OK", clean them anyway.

[Gary Pflum]

After the mag is dry, Don't forget to take some WD 40 or something like it and spray it on a rag and wipe the inside of the cap and the coil. Even though the mag is dry the moisture that was there will leave a dust or dirt film that can over time cause a path that the spark can follow. ( carbon tracking ) A drop of oil on the cam won't hurt ether.

[oliverbutthead]

Thanks for the quick replies! That is good news.

[Patrick McNallen]

That's a good idea, Gary. Most mags that have run a while seem to have a soot-like deposit on the inside of the cap and on the rotor. Moisture seems to aggravate the problem. Wiping the inside surfaces of the cap and the rotor with a clean soft cloth and WD 40 etc. usually removes it. You need to pay close attention to corners and crevices and use a fold of the cloth or even a small soft brush to get all of the smudge out of these areas.

[K D Redd]

I have found that you can seal a porous mag cap with clear acrylic top coat spray paint. After the clear dries I paint the mag engine color.

Kent