Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

[Intermediate Mariner]

I don't know what I would do without these boards! All help is greatly appreciated. Don't know what they did 20 years ago (probably went to the library.. the internet is the age of do-it-yourselfers)!!

I am in the middle of a complete overhaul and restore on a 1962 'rude lark IV 40hp. Will do one thread when finished to show all progress.

Right now I am at step million of a billion and ready to install magneto and had a couple questions.

The first thing to install on the top of the bare powerhead is an aluminum "retaining ring" that goes on upside-down followed by a brass "armature plate support". There is a square notch in the retaining ring... what the heck is this for and which way does it face/go on???

Question 2: There is an "oiler clip" and "oiler wick"... correct me if I am wrong but the oiler clip is under one of the coils, correct? Is the little part circled in the photo of the oiler clip?? It appears the wick is missing... alot of stuff was missing on this motor so I can't take anything for granted.

Also I can save this for another thread but does anyone know if there is a way to "test" the coils without any specail tools, like with a multi-meter or something? This motor got extremely hot... so hot that that aluminum retaining ring was melted to the bottom of the magneto (on the underside). One of the coils had a little burnt spot on the tip of the lamination... plus the green paint is missing from the coil laminations (there is some flaked-off paint residue left on them, probably from cleaning chemicals).. do the coils need to be repainted or varnished???

Thanks a bunch, wish I was on the water!

Shawn T
Wichita, KS

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

You can't test the coils w/o a special piece of test gear, but a dealer may do it at no charge, if they have the equipment. Paint, etc., doesn't matter on a coil, electrical integrity does.

 

[Intermediate Mariner]

Re: Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

Hey thanks Jim.

I just hated to reinstall magneto and then flywheel before knowing if they're good, you know how removing the flywheel is a pain!

Do you know about that retaing ring and what that notch is for?

Thanks!

Shawn

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

Haven't worked on an outboard with points in a few years and just don't remember.

 

[F_R]

Re: Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

I don't have a clue what the notch is for. Perhaps to hold it in a machine for manufacturing purposes?? Anyhow, it serves no purpose now.

The retaning ring goes flat side up. Lubricate all that stuff very sparingly with ep grease. Overdo it and it will just splatter out, fouling the points.

Yes, the circled part is the oiler clip. Pull it off and the wick goes in the slot and between the clip and the mounting post.

You can test the coils with a multimeter...sort of. The resistance between the points wire and the ground wire should be about an ohm. Between the spark plug wire and ground wire should be several k-ohms. The other test you cab do is just take a look at them. If they are cracked or leaking, they are scrap.

How the heck did it get that hot?? Catch fire or something?? Don't worry about the paint on the coils. However, the paint BETWEEN the laminations insulate them from each other. If that is terribly compromised, it would affect the magnetic lines of force and thus the coil. I've never seen that happen, but in theory it could. Seems like the coil would melt first.

 

[Intermediate Mariner]

Re: Magneto install. First Step: retaining ring... also oiler wick.

Man thanks a million FR. You really seem to know your stuff on alot of posts and a variety of threads.

Yeah, that notch was throwing me, thanks.

Paint: I used carb cleaner to clean off the rest of the paint and it ate it off instantly. I hope it didn't seep in, I used alot.. probably a mistake. That carb cleaner is about half the price of elect parts cleaner. I will try the test though, thanks for that bit of info, hopefully I will be able to see that they are good. I did see one post about replace coils, points, condersers and plug wires and will be basically new ignition - I will probably do this next year when I add generator. Just wanted to get on the water and keep from spending some much cash on this (every order is a hundred bucks and a tiny little box shows up!).

Got hot: One of the cylinders had to be re-bored (and the other was out of round too). The piston was trashed.. it looked some someone had rolled it accross the drieway a couple of hundred times.. the cylinder was gouged all the way around. I tore everything down to the last bolt and clean everything and did not really notice anything out of the ordinary, could have been water pump and I am replacing complete lower unit. I replaced one piston and both sets of rings. I hope Im ok. I plan to have temp light hooked up.

Thanks again for answering other posts like the carbon seal/quad ring - I almost installed the spare quad ring on in addition to the carbon seal with the quad ring in it!