Topic: '65 BigTwin 40hp 1/2 spark – Page 4 – Antique Outboard Motor Club,Inc

This topic has 37 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 4 years, 11 months ago by fleetwin.

Viewing 8 posts - 31 through 38 (of 38 total)

← 1 2 3 4

Author

Posts
May 22, 2019 at 1:51 pm #175767
rapier
Participant
Relooked at the points again, sprayed with brake cleaner, blown with the air line and dragged a card through when closed. I now have a spark on #1

Can only think that by swapping over the components yesterday, my greasy hands, or the feeler guage contaminated the points

Am feeling very grateful to everyone who persevered in reading and answering my issue and wish to thank all, esp. fleetwin who didn’t give up. Apologies to those who suggested cleaning the points, I’d done it so many times over the last week that I’d long discounted it as an issue. Just shows you…

Thanks for the suggestion re. the lateral movement in the mag plate. The original was a likely cause with about 2 -3mm play.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by Mumbles.
May 22, 2019 at 5:10 pm #175798
fleetwin
Participant
US Member - 2 Years
This kind of thing happens to all of us. Frustration can get the best of us for sure. I try to walk away from stubborn projects for a few days, then my errors usually come to me while sleeping….
Please do me a favor though….You have had this apart so many times, take a few minutes and recheck all fasteners to make sure they are tight…..The last thing you want is something to come loose under the flywheel and tear up everything…..Be sure to properly torque that flywheel nut also, you don’t want the key to shear….Don
May 22, 2019 at 8:34 pm #175813
bobw
Participant
US Member
Great to hear you finally tracked it down. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that makes us lose the most sleep – I know I’ve certainly had my share, mostly caused by my own doing! And Don has a really good observation – would be really good to go through everything one last time just to be sure it’s all good.

Bob

1937 Champion D2C Deluxe Lite Twin
1954 Johnson CD-11
1957 Evinrude Fastwin 18
1958 Johnson QD-19
1958 Johnson FD-12
1959 Johnson QD-20

“Every 20 minute job is only a broken bolt away from a 3-day project.”
"Every time you remove a broken or seized bolt an angel gets his wings."
May 23, 2019 at 5:13 pm #175854
hag
Participant
well, it happens, but looking at pictures, check the wires coming off the points, looks like the metal connector was pointing down and grounding on the mag plate. cleaning points may have just broke contact inadvertently. Not sure if anybody mentioned this before but worth mentioning. Same thing just happened to me yesterday after changing coils/caps/points/wire/plugs just like you. In my case the wire was grounding on the metal casing of the condenser.
May 24, 2019 at 12:09 pm #175894
fleetwin
Participant
US Member - 2 Years
You make a great point that deserves repeating….Yes, it is easy to see how that coil primary lead that has no insulation over the wire ring connector could easily get grounded during installation…
May 28, 2019 at 3:47 pm #176192
rapier
Participant
I did consider using liquid electrical ‘tape’ to isolate the chance of metal to metal contact (then got distracted), but went through the entire process of checking (again) before I tightened the flywheel. It fired up 1st time, but sounds like bag of nails (tock, tock) and I need to look at the cause of that, most likely bearings from sitting in unheated garage / lack of winterising – bit frustrating, but will be self evident when I get there.
May 29, 2019 at 12:36 pm #176247
olcah
Participant
US Member
Maybe just the flywheel rubbing on a coil lamination. You can remove plugs and pull over to check. If it rubs it will bind the magneto plate and you can feel that.
- This reply was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by olcah.
May 29, 2019 at 12:40 pm #176249
fleetwin
Participant
US Member - 2 Years
Yes, I would have another look under that flywheel just to be sure….But, please know that these old 40hps can make some strange powerhead noises, especially when warming up, so it is quite possible nothing is really wrong….I am assuming you have drained/refilled the gear lube and it was OK….
Author

Posts