1959 Lark flywheel hanging up on magneto

This topic has 15 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 5 months ago by outboardnut.

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October 25, 2021 at 5:10 pm #248649
lindy46
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This is a mystery. Putting new coils etc in my 59 Lark and for some reason the flywheel is locking up on the magneto. I’ve adjusted the coils a hundred times and even when set furthest in it hangs up. I switched mag plates thinking maybe the original was warped. No change. I even tried taking the coils off and flywheel still hangs up but not as severe as when coils are in. When coils are in, the magneto is literally locked to the flywheel at one particular point in the flywheel rotation. At other points there is no hangup. By the way, it does the same with the old coils as well. Is it possible the flywheel is warped? I’m running out of ideas.
- This topic was modified 2 years, 5 months ago by lindy46.
October 25, 2021 at 5:31 pm #248651
johnny
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Are you sure the flywheel is hanging up on the coils? Since you tried removing the coils and it still hangs up I have to think it is hanging up on something else.
October 25, 2021 at 6:29 pm #248654
lindy46
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Not much else for it to hang up on. Everything is off the magneto plate – no coils, points or condensers.
October 25, 2021 at 7:06 pm #248663
Buccaneer
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I’ve put magic marker on the coil laminates when having rubbing issues, to see just
where the flywheel is rubbing. Perhaps you could do the same on lower insides of
the flywheel, or where ever else it could possibly rub?

Prepare to be boarded!
October 25, 2021 at 7:42 pm #248668
fleetwin
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US Member - 2 Years
It is surely possible that the flywheel is damaged somehow causing it to bind…It even binds with no ignition components in place? Perhaps you don’t have the mag plate properly installed…Did the flywheel hang up before tuneup/coil change? If not, seems like you misassembled something that is creating the binding…
October 25, 2021 at 7:45 pm #248669
lindy46
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Buccaneer wrote:

I’ve put magic marker on the coil laminates when having rubbing issues, to see just
where the flywheel is rubbing. Perhaps you could do the same on lower insides of
the flywheel, or where ever else it could possibly rub?

I did something similar with chalk. Couldn’t see any rubbing on the laminates. I did notice some scraping on the top of the coils so I filed that area down a little. It didn’t seem to help.
October 25, 2021 at 8:00 pm #248670
lindy46
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fleetwin wrote:

It is surely possible that the flywheel is damaged somehow causing it to bind…It even binds with no ignition components in place? Perhaps you don’t have the mag plate properly installed…Did the flywheel hang up before tuneup/coil change? If not, seems like you misassembled something that is creating the binding…

It doesn’t bind with no components installed but it does rub a little as evidenced by slight movement of the plate when I spin the flywheel. I didn’t notice any binding before I pulled the flywheel but I never really had it running as I had no spark on the top cylinder. That is why I decided to replace everything under the flywheel. I’ve had the mag plate on and off multiple times and even changed it out with another one I had on hand. I’ve had many a mag plate off in my years of working on old outboards so I’m no stranger to doing the job. The plate moves freely as it should before dropping the flywheel on. Just never had this particular problem before.
October 25, 2021 at 8:32 pm #248672
Mumbles
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Take a close look at the flywheel and make sure there are no washers or bits of anything stuck to the magnet. It must be clean.
October 25, 2021 at 10:23 pm #248677
joecb
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US Member - 2 Years
Any chance that the fly wheel hub is cracked allowing the FW to set too low?

Joe B
October 26, 2021 at 5:26 pm #248715
billw
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US Member - 2 Years
Do you have another flywheel? That would be the best test. If not, check the taper to see if it was over-torqued. Turn it and see if it’s warped. Then, there is what I just went through: I had the same problem on a ’55 15. As it turned out, the upper part of the crank and the upper bearing were badly worn, which allowed enough lateral movement to let the flywheel hit stuff. I never really saw that happen before. The crank itself was .002″ worn and the bearing was worse. With the nut snug on the flywheel, try rocking the whole flywheel side to side and see how much play there is, in the upper bearing.

Long live American manufacturing!
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