1928 Onan generator

[stevec]

Greg, Just a lttle tale about a buddy here in NS who had been suffering woes with his "Troy Built" roto tiller of some age.
On our visits here I tried to counsel him on some trouble shooting but as a visitor I had none of my equipment so it was to no avail.
He got ripped for a bore hone and ring job by the local small motor thief.

One of the first things I tended to, once here, was Jim's rototiller. The first thing I did was to try an alternate to the magneto.
I tried a spark coil from a car and a 12V lawn tractor battery.
The old Troy Built had externaly accessable points so the hook up was easy. The machine fired up and ran almost immediately (second pull) and ran smoothly although there seemed like too much spark from those lovely external points.
So, I tried a 6 volt battery, one like those used in hand lanterns, starting was fine and point spark was almost invisible.
I made up a battery bracket and and coil clamp, wired in a switch and Jim has reported three years(so far) of excellent starting and great performance.
Battery yet to be changed.
It really disturbs me that the small motor "experts" here elected to perform an expensive repair that wouldn't solve the problem in effort to sell a new machine.
I, on the other hand, have acheived god like status with Jim and bask in his praise with his every use of his "tiller".
P.S. I did find that the magento coil was available , but at greater cost than my "in inventory" spark coil etc.

[f350ca]

Guess we're going to learn about old school magnetos. Don't think there is any air gap to set on these. Steve I have the same tiller with the external points on a Kohler engine, great for getting wet if its rained on.



This thing is like nothing I've ever seen. The points rotate and the cam is stationary. No way your going to fire a coil off them. Then there's the distributor cap for lack of a beter word. A solid bakelite disk with a copper bar rotates to make contact to the wires, but the feed is off a lower carbon brush that contacts a revolving slip ring under the cap. Not sure how you'd connect to that either. Looks like this one is going to be a case of restore the original engineering.
I'm hoping the main problem is the week horse shoe magnet that surrounds the mag. Found plans for a magnetizer, but looks like a lot of work and copper wire for a one of fix. Mind thats never stopped me before, oh my god, maybe I'm getting older and more sensible. No must be just lazy.
Greg

[Highpower]

Ahhh... Ok. Perhaps the magnet from an old hand crank telephone could be substituted? Or..... U-shaped magnets

Just thinking out loud.....

[stevec]

Greg, just a suggestion for a possible "work around"
Here's a pic of the Austin Mini distributor I used as a replacement for the magneto I couldn't work with on my first AC "B" tractor.
I needed to reduce the speed of the original magneto drive 2 to 1 (the original mag was spun at engine speed, I guess for more efficient mag. speed. the mag had a reducer for it's dist. cap) so I used a little 2 to 1 angle drive I had in inventory.
This set-up has been working for me for over 10 years. Later issues of the AC model "B" were equipped with coil fired distributors and their drives were half speed , like mine, but I have never needed to "up grade" my tractor from it's "home made" set-up.
   

[Highpower]

fix there Steve!

[ETC57]

Hay this is starting to sound like a hot rod forum with all this talk about mag mods and custom distributor swaps very cool

Jerry.

[f350ca]

The mag on the Onan runs at engine speed as well, with a reduction to the rotor.
Greg

[f350ca]

Bill sent the magneto away to get rebuilt, one place said it couldn't be fixed, HUH, the second said the same HUH HUH so sold him a rebuilt one, not the same make but it works. Figured out the rough timing and away it went, adjusted the timing, (where the magneto coupling is engaged and it ran like a charm. Got something running thats older than Bill.
Still has an intermittent miss, think it might be the wires, they're in pretty rough shape.
Made a video on the phone but can't figure how to get it to post. Sue sounds sweet.

[sasquatch]

Greg, beautifull Generator, love those old engines!!

Never knew Onan/Kohler built an OHV back then. I have a book here about old gensets, by i think "Allen King?",, and the automatic start feature was not new back then. One ad claimed it would start from up to i think 800 Ft away!(this was in 1923 i think.)
I had a mid forties Onan, 1800 watt,/with 12 volt output also, but it was a flathead 2cyl, beautiful "Art-Deco" style with a "Honey-Comb" rad, 1800 RPM,, and the cast base, (That thing was Bloody Heavy),, AND-Held 7 Quarts of Oil !!
On the side of the block was an old style AC fuel pump, and a AC sediment bowl.
Ended up trading it to a guy for a small craftsman metal lathe.