Author Topic: Electrics questions..... (Read 3857 times)

Captain Bob · **on:** March 26, 2022, 01:59:02 am

Seems the person who originally restored my 1955 Indian Woodsman never really finished the job. The carburetor was not properly set up (that seems to be sorted out now) and I am now finding the electrics may have not been tested as well. Hence my question. The 55 Woodsman was delivered originally with a 6v Battery and positive earth. I do not know how this bike was wired when restored. I am pretty sure it was set up as a 6 volt system but am not sure about the positive earth. I did check some wiring and thought it was positive earth but now, I am not so sure. I have no idea how the dynamo was polarized. Here is my question... The bike looks like it has the original control box. Does that box care about polarity? I know it contains a couple relays but cannot find a diagram to determine what else it may contain. I tested the voltage coming from the dynamo and it reads positive. Seems it is outputting 10 volts or so. Meter leads are as follows... Red lead on the dynamo, black lead on ground, Voltage read was positive polarity. Is that telling me the dynamo is polarized for a negative ground?

Here are the symptoms... With a positive ground, I turn on the electrics with the switch on the headlight. The lights come on everything seems to be OK. Ammeter is showing a drain on the battery. It is not charging. Voltage at the battery is 5.6 volts which is consistent with ammeter, clearly not charging even when the engine is revved.

The previous owner does not remember if it was a positive or negative earth. I do not think he ever connected a battery to the system. If I connected the battery in reverse polarity, what trouble would that cause?

I plan on doing some continuity checks to see just how this thing is wired. I am curious about how sensitive the control box might be to polarity and also if connected in reverse polarity, what have I potentially damaged? Can I just repolarize the dynamo to the polarity of my choice and then connect the battery consistent with that choice and call it a day? As usual, appreciate any and all thoughts!

AzCal Retred · **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2022, 05:47:36 am

Any pictures of the aforementioned device? Maybe these PDFs will provide some inspiration...?

https://www.rexs-speedshop.com/
https://www.rexs-speedshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Motor-cycle-magdynos-MO1L-MN2L-Sec-L-5-Pt-B.pdf

http://www.southwalessectionvmcc.co.uk/
http://www.southwalessectionvmcc.co.uk/Library/Tech%20files/lucas%20magdynos%20workshop%20manual.pdf

I wouldn't get too creative with these pricey & hard to get items, you don't want to inadvertently "let the smoke out" and make things worse $$$... Better to PM AdrianII or Bullet Whisperer and get some real knowledge than just flail away. Magneto/Magdyno repair is a bit of black art, I'm sure that a lot of the parts must be hand made or adapted by now.
There's a reason all this electro-mechanical hardware was replaced by solid-state electronics. Fun when it's working though...

Captain Bob · **Reply #2 on:** March 27, 2022, 02:13:36 am

Quote from: AzCal Retred on March 26, 2022, 05:47:36 am

Any pictures of the aforementioned device? Maybe these PDFs will provide some inspiration...?

https://www.rexs-speedshop.com/
https://www.rexs-speedshop.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Motor-cycle-magdynos-MO1L-MN2L-Sec-L-5-Pt-B.pdf

http://www.southwalessectionvmcc.co.uk/
http://www.southwalessectionvmcc.co.uk/Library/Tech%20files/lucas%20magdynos%20workshop%20manual.pdf

I wouldn't get too creative with these pricey & hard to get items, you don't want to inadvertently "let the smoke out" and make things worse $$$... Better to PM AdrianII or Bullet Whisperer and get some real knowledge than just flail away. Magneto/Magdyno repair is a bit of black art, I'm sure that a lot of the parts must be hand made or adapted by now.
There's a reason all this electro-mechanical hardware was replaced by solid-state electronics. Fun when it's working though...

Thanks for the pdf's. Good info on the magneto. However, my issues revolve around the dynamo that provides DC voltage to the lighting system and recharges the battery. I need to understand this system better. Was hoping to get some time today to further check it out but, that didn't happen. lol I will spend time tomorrow however. My main two questions are:

1 - Does the control box care about polarity? This is the box that the dynamo directly connects to. It has four leads two of which come from the dynamo. I am guessing that it doesn't care about polarity whereas, you can set the dynamo either positive or negative ground without (I believe) changing anything on the control box.

2 - Can I just repolarize the dynamo to the polarity of my choice (Positive ground for instance) and then connect the battery consistent with that choice and call it a day? I think I would just need to ensure the ammeter is wired to correspond to the correct polarity.

Pretty sure the juice coming from the dynamo is positive voltage. This indicates to me that I should have the battery set up for a negative ground. But maybe I am wrong.

AzCal Retred · **Reply #3 on:** March 27, 2022, 03:22:41 am

You will definitely need someone raised/conversant with the particulars of the hardware.

In a generic sense, the dynamo is whirling conductors inside of a stationary magnetic field. These moving windings are carrying AC.

The commutator will have 2 brushes and "slots", a bar for each end of the winding, each separated by mica.

The brushes pick up the rotating windings at the precise time the voltage & polarity is maximum, (+) on one brush, (-) on the other. The commutator is a way to mechanically create DC voltage by picking it off the rotor at the right moment. These old boys were geniuses.

Polarity is generally dependent on direction of rotation or field polarity. The tricky bit is that the (+) lead configuration may be built into the design of the machine & not easily changed - But again, I don't really know these machines.

Voltage is regulated by varying stationary magnet field strength, which is achieved by varying the current thru the field windings. That's probably the second pair of wires. The old school regulators were electromechanical and required maintenance & adjustment. I think they just toggled on and off, "shot feeding" the battery. That would be easy, as infinitely varying field current requires an electromechanically ratcheted advance/retard rheostat, a much more involved process.

I can think of a lot of ways to "zorch" this device casually hooking it up & "Lessee what happens now". If it was mine, I'd be on the phone or e-mail to some "Olde Brits" shop and be crating it up. You don't know what others may have already done and you aren't a SME (subject matter expert) and you don't have any of the olde school voodoo tools (the "growler", commutator mica lathe, etc.) that were commonplace test tooling in 1920 - 1950. You don't have parts & have no way to know if the device is truly functional as is.

If this was a 1999 Bullet, I'd say have at it, nothing you could do would be beyond Hitchcock's purview to replace & you'd learn something. Unless you have a burning desire to be a dynamo tech and a time machine set for 1940, I'd send it off to someone that knows. AFTER you have a working unit with a functioning voltage regulator, THEN I'd do a little more research and some judicious poking around. The frustration avoided alone is worth it, one less thing to worry about. Just my dos pesos.

Captain Bob · **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2022, 01:50:25 am

So.... No fried wires today. That was good. I checked out the wiring. It seems to be wired correctly. I can only assume it is supposed to be a positive ground whereas, (wired for positive ground) when juice is applied the ammeter shows the current drain. If I were to reverse polarity, the ammeter shows charging which it clearly is not doing. It is interesting to note however, the fuse is on the ground lead. I would it would have been on the "hot" lead. The control box appears to be brand new. No stuck relays or anything I could see wrong with it. Wiring to it seems good other than one wrong color on one of the wires. I figured I would try re-polarizing the dynamo for a positive ground. I did that then checked the output of the dynamo with the bike running. She was putting out 10 to 11 volts negative which is what I would expect after re-polarizing it. Reconnected wires to dynamo and started the bike up to check to see if it is charging. No luck. Ammeter shows a drain and lights do not get brighter when revving the engine. So... I can only assume the control box is not functioning. The question is, if the control box is brand new, would you normally have to adjust it after installation on a bike or, are they preadjusted? Perhaps I need to adjust this control box to get it to do its thing. More research is needed. lol
Modify Message

Captain Bob · **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2022, 01:40:28 am

Hmmmm... It just occurred to me. This bike has been sitting for years. I haven't considered cleaning the contacts on the relays in the control box. Duh.......! That could be my whole problem! I will get to it tomorrow!

richard211 · **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2022, 11:48:27 am

I have not worked on a magdyno Royal Enfield, but on the 1960's bullets they had a 6v alternator, those models had a positive ground. I referred a Lucas spares catalogue for 1955 Enfield motorcycles and the control box is listed as RB107. I did find a Lucas workshop manual for the RB 107 which might be helpful in adjusting the regulator.

Captain Bob · **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2022, 05:29:30 pm

Richard211, Thanks Much! That is very helpful. I have been trying to find some info on the control box and this fits the bill precisely. Going to try cleaning the contacts of the relay's today and see if that helps. It just could be the bike has sat for so long the relay contacts may have corroded. I did have that problem with the contact breaker points. I needed to clean them before I could get any spark. Again, thank you. This helps a lot!

richard211 · **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2022, 07:21:56 am

Happy to be of help, do let us know what you find.

Captain Bob · **Reply #9 on:** April 05, 2022, 11:24:17 pm

Sorry to take so long to get a progress report out. Seems life kept getting in the way and then, I got sick. Not sure if it was covid or not, I never got tested, but the symptoms were covid like. I have already had Covid a few months ago. Would be really surprised if I got it again so quickly. Finally got through it however and had an opportunity to look at the bike this afternoon. Did all the wiring checks involving the control box and found things to be in order. I then cleaned the control box contacts and fired the old girl up. Voila! she was charging! Seems the problem was just corroded contacts! Love it when a plan comes together. Don't know why I didn't think to clean the contacts first off. Might have something to do with age. lol Anyway, took her for a short ride and all is good! Thanks so much to all who contributed to this little project. Information I received was fantastic and of great help. Now I need to determine why the kill switch isn't working. It is a rather inexpensive button mounted to the handlebar. Guess what I will check first? You got it! The contacts.

More to come.

Adrian II · **Reply #10 on:** April 06, 2022, 04:25:53 pm

Not sure if there ever was a factory kill switch with the Lucas magdyno, though some other magnetos had provision for them. With a Bullet you can stop the engine on the decompressor lever.

However, after-market points covers for use with kill switches definitely ARE available for the Lucas magdyno, see here. They will ship to the USA. Hope this helps.

https://www.themagnetoguys.co.uk/points-caps-with-cut-outs#Two

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #11 on:** April 07, 2022, 03:12:09 am

Quote from: Adrian II on April 06, 2022, 04:25:53 pm

Not sure if there ever was a factory kill switch with the Lucas magdyno, though some other magnetos had provision for them. With a Bullet you can stop the engine on the decompressor lever.

However, after-market points covers for use with kill switches definitely ARE available for the Lucas magdyno, see here. They will ship to the USA. Hope this helps.

https://www.themagnetoguys.co.uk/points-caps-with-cut-outs#Two

A.

I just checked out The Magneto Guys website. Very interesting. Thanks for passing that along. I have no idea where the wire runs to with this kill switch. I need to take a closer look. I like the thought of just using the compression lever. That simplifies things. I may end up removing the existing kill switch. We will see what happens after I take a closer look.

Adrian II · **Reply #12 on:** April 07, 2022, 01:50:10 pm

On the later Lucas SR1 magneto there's an obvious kill switch wiring point on an insulated stud in the side of the magneto body, I don't know what the O.P. might have rigged up to the magdyno, but one of the points covers I linked to would sort this out.

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #13 on:** April 13, 2022, 06:32:57 pm

So.... after getting the charging system working, I am trying to debug the non-functioning kill switch. there is a button on the handlebar that when depressed grounds a white and black wire. The other end of that wire goes to a terminal on the Lucas ML01 Magneto. This terminal is to the right and down when looking at the points cap. Only problem is.... That terminal does not appear to be an insulated terminal but rather a ground (or earth). I do not see any insulation whatsoever and, with the wires removed from the terminal, it measures a direct short to ground. So, my kill switch button seems to be grounding a ground....

Thoughts anyone?

Adrian II · **Reply #14 on:** April 14, 2022, 05:03:47 pm

OK, I guess you have a dummy kill switch system installed. Love it!

Speculation mode ON.

Possibly the PO/restorer wasn't so clued in on magnetos, or else he started putting a kill-switch set-up together, only by the time he'd discovered that there was no obvious way of connecting it to the mag's low tension circuit, he gave up and just left it in for looks or fooling some equally clueless vehicle inspector.

Speculation mode OFF

Anyhow, if you want a WORKING kill switch, you know what's needed.

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2022, 05:21:31 pm

Quote from: Adrian II on April 14, 2022, 05:03:47 pm

OK, I guess you have a dummy kill switch system installed. Love it!

Speculation mode ON.

Possibly the PO/restorer wasn't so clued in on magnetos, or else he started putting a kill-switch set-up together, only by the time he'd discovered that there was no obvious way of connecting it to the mag's low tension circuit, he gave up and just left it in for looks or fooling some equally clueless vehicle inspector.

Speculation mode OFF

Anyhow, if you want a WORKING kill switch, you know what's needed.

A.

Exactly!

I guess I will decide to either purchase a points cap from the Magneto Guys or just use the decompressor lever.

Captain Bob · **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2022, 02:41:14 am

Well... The decision wasn't too difficult. Even though my bike is a bit of a Bitsa (no pun intended) I would like to keep it close to stock as possible. So.... I killed the kill switch! We are kill switch free! I will use the decompressor lever to shut her off. Tomorrow, I am taking her to the local state inspection station to get a safety inspection sticker. I do not think they care if it has a kill switch or not. Actually, it being of 55 vintage, they will essentially, inspect the tires ensuring they are safe to travel on and make sure the bike has brakes and lights. That's pretty much it. I did plug up holes that were drilled in the oil fill pipe and also sealed the exhaust header pipe where it fits to the head. there was no previous sealant and I had an exhaust leak. Tomorrow will be a bit of a sea trial to see if the oil remains in the engine and the exhaust sealant I installed holds up. Should be a fun ride. (Knock on wood!) lol

Adrian II · **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2022, 01:24:27 pm

Basic plumbing-grade silicone RTV works fine even on the downpipe to cylinder head joint, unless the exhaust port has worn TOO sloppy.

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2022, 01:43:22 pm

Quote from: Adrian II on April 15, 2022, 01:24:27 pm

Basic plumbing-grade silicone RTV works fine even on the downpipe to cylinder head joint, unless the exhaust port has worn TOO sloppy.

A.

Interesting... Good to know. I used Permatex hi temp copper exhaust sealant. I cleaned the port and the pipe really well prior to applying. We will soon see if it holds up. The pipe seems to fit reasonably well into the port. I have let this sealant set for a few days. Temps here have been ranging from 40's to as high as 70 (Fahrenheit). I am hoping it has properly cured. I will know a little later on today! Thanks again Adrian for all of the great information you have provided. It has been really helpful!

Adrian II · **Reply #19 on:** April 15, 2022, 06:45:52 pm

Glad to help, if I can.

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2022, 01:25:51 am

Apparently, it never ends.....

Did the sea trial today and took the bike for a state inspection. It passed of course. the inspector didn't really know what to look for. He has to play by 1955 rules (which there weren't any at that time). So, he checked the tires and the hi/lo beam headlight. That was it. Never looked at the brake lights, tail light, horn, etc. It was pretty funny but, I got the sticker!

However.... I also experienced the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. As I was looking at the bike at the inspection station, I was quite pleased to see my sealing job at the head pipe was solid. No leaks. Unfortunately, it all went downhill from there though... I noticed oil leaking from the area that I just plugged with JB weld. I suppose it is possible that I didn't quite cover the holes. It was clearly not as bad as before. I had the oil cap screwed on tight and it seemed to be leak free. I need to look at the plugged area closer to see what I missed

I also noticed oil pooling at the bottom rear of the cylinder. This is in between the magneto and the rear of the cylinder. I am guessing the oil is coming from where the upper end of the timing chest connects to the mag/dynamo assemblies? I assume there is a seal there. I have ridden the bike before and there has always been a little wet area in that vicinity but, it was quite a bit more oil this time. Is it possible I have excessive pressure being built up in the oil tank/crankcase? I did check the vent in the oil cap. It seems to be a one way vent only allowing air to escape. Just thinking out loud, is it also possible there is too much oil in the oil tank? I do not have min and max marks on the dipstick and the oil level is about an inch or so up from the bottom of the dip stick.

And if that is not all... The cursed charging system is not charging again! I had cleaned the contacts in the control box and it was working beautifully. Now, less than a week later it doesn't work. I will check it out tomorrow. Something is amiss.

Fun times.... Again, any and all thoughts are clearly appreciated.

Adrian II · **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2022, 10:26:58 am

For oil level checking, the cap off an Indian (built, not badged) Bullet might have the level markings on the dipstick. Part # 140124?

The oil leak could indeed be coming from alleged sealing arrangement for the magdyno drive pinion, Bullet Whisperer had this problem to deal with on an early 1950's 350 G2 Bullet quite recently. Have a look at this video, about 19 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCmam9Wnd-k

If might be worth watching all the videos associated with this particular bike, as this one had a whole plethora of problems.

If the dynamo stopped charging suddenly, failed connection?

A.

Adrian II · **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2022, 05:23:52 pm

By the way, if you needed a replacement magdyno, this wonderful contraption - or perhaps alien artefact - has appeared on eBay in the UK.

Some previous corrosion to the alloy castings, but fully refurbished, sparking and charging. Correct rotation for a Bullet/Woodsman too, counter-clockwise from the drive end.

BTH stuff was serious kit, back in the day.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313954229685?hash=item4919215db5:g:c9EAAOSw~QNiVmBc

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #23 on:** April 17, 2022, 02:48:20 pm

They do not give them away do they....

However, you probably do not see many of these around either. Interesting magneto. A little different in design then my Lucas MOL1

Captain Bob · **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2022, 03:23:05 pm

Quote from: Adrian II on April 16, 2022, 10:26:58 am

For oil level checking, the cap off an Indian (built, not badged) Bullet might have the level markings on the dipstick. Part # 140124?

The oil leak could indeed be coming from alleged sealing arrangement for the magdyno drive pinion, Bullet Whisperer had this problem to deal with on an early 1950's 350 G2 Bullet quite recently. Have a look at this video, about 19 minutes in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCmam9Wnd-k

If might be worth watching all the videos associated with this particular bike, as this one had a whole plethora of problems.

If the dynamo stopped charging suddenly, failed connection?

A.

The video was great. I now have a better idea about the seal and how it is put together. Wouldn't surprise me if it is also installed backwards as it was for Bullet Whisperer. A question I have is, can the felt and spring be removed and reinstalled without completely removing the magneto from the bike? I guess I will find out when I pull the timing chest cover off and then pull the gear. I will start with the charging system then move on to the oil leaks... that is... after I finish up prepping my HD for the summer. I need to step back from the Indian for a bit.

BTW, I will order that oil cap/dipstick from Hitchcocks. I checked with them and they say it will work fine with the 1955 engine.

Adrian II · **Reply #25 on:** April 17, 2022, 10:08:02 pm

Spare parts interchangeability definitely has helped keep the old ones going. My Redditch 350 has a late Madras 350 cylinder head fitted.

The magneto pinion drive seal sits snugly between the back of the magdyno and the timing chest extension on the crankcase, so that's the timing cover and pinion off to get at it. Once the pinion is off, the whole magdyno is held on with the larger of the steel straps the goes over the dynamo part. With that off you should be able to lift the whole thing off the mag platform on top of the oil tank, there are just a pair of locating pegs screwed into the base of the magdyno, which sit in a corresponding pair of holes drilled into the mag platform. The factory in India still included the cut-aways in the crankcases for the bottom of the magneto straps LONG after they swapped to coil ignition.

For '56-59 roadster Bullets there was a flange mounted Lucas SR1 magneto (copied from the Fairbanks-Morse types, i suspect) with an auto-advance in the drive pinion, lighting was alternator powered. However the Woodsman still had the magdyno up until and including the1957 models, I'm guessing the factory was using up their stocks of MO1s.

The warm weather is brining the HDs out over here too. There's a big dealers, Dock Gate 20 Motorcycles, just down the road from me, and a friend of mine locally has a 1980 Sportster.

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #26 on:** April 18, 2022, 01:00:03 am

Harley's are everywhere over here of course. I have only ridden three Harley's in my life. The first was a 1947 74 CI (if I recall) bike. It had a tank shift with a clutch pedal. If memory serves me right, the pedal was on the left floorboard. It was the first real motorcycle I ever rode. It was my fathers and while he was at work one day during summer school vacation, I decided to take her for a ride. I was 14 years old. I fired the old girl up and rode it pretty much all day. Took my sister for a ride after I got the hang of it. When my dad got home I told him I rode his bike. My mother had an instant nuclear meltdown. Dad however, appreciated the honesty and I think, was quite proud that I rode it without dropping it. He then asked me not to do that again unless I asked first. I quickly agreed! lol

The second Harley was a 65 Sportster that a work colleague owned and let me take it for a ride. I was 21 or 22 at the time. It was awful! The vibes were worse than the early Buell's! I hated that bike and quickly returned it to him. I didn't let him know that of course, he was rather proud of his sporty. Most of the bikes I rode back then were either Honda's or Triumphs. except for my MX bikes that I raced which were a 250 Ossa and a 380 CZ.

The 3rd Harley is the bike I ride now. A 2008 Heritage Softail. I bought it after I crashed my second Triumph Rocket III. Neither crash were my fault. 1st one was a guy who pulled right into my lane and I hit him head on. I went over the bars doing a complete 360 and landed on my feet next to the passenger door of the Honda he was driving. We were both doing around 30-35 mph. Not a scratch! His insurance bought me the second R3. God was looking out for me that day. The second was a lady who pulled out from an intersection right in front of me. If I had another 5 feet, I would have been OK. I was almost stopped when we collided. Didn't really damage the R3 to much, just curled the front fender. Her insurance fixed that bike. I had never owned a Harley but always thought I would like one, so... I sold the repaired R3 and bought the softail. Great bike. It is slow... The scenery while riding can be looked at as opposed to a blur I was used too from crotch rockets and the R3's. I am finding as I have gotten older, I need to slow down a bit.

Probably will not own another Harley, unless... I could afford the Captain America chopper from the movie Easy Rider. I do like choppers and that is my favorite one. lol

I hope to get to the Indian again this week. I will pull the timing chest cover and pinion off and see what is going on. Thanks for the info on removing the magneto. I will get this Indian sorted out. Just takes a little time and patience. Thanks again Adrian. You are a good man!

richard211 · **Reply #27 on:** April 18, 2022, 02:30:10 am

I am not sure whether this may be of any help to you, but I did find a 6 Volt solid state voltage regulator, which was designed to replace the mechanical voltage regulator and it's also configured for a positive ground / earth. This would essentially make the voltage regulator side of things literally maintenance free.

https://www.classicbikepartscheshire.com/electrical-c3/ammeters-voltage-regulators-c20/classic-motorcycle-regulator-6v-positive-earth-finned-heat-sink-p1495

Captain Bob · **Reply #28 on:** April 18, 2022, 03:24:45 pm

That is very interesting. Seems like a decent solution to the mechanical regulator. Do you have one of these fitted to your bike?

richard211 · **Reply #29 on:** April 18, 2022, 03:50:12 pm

I unfortunately don't have a Magdyno bullet. They are very rare in India and cost around the same as a new interceptor 650 if not more.

But I do think this would be a much better voltage regulator. Maybe other forum members might be able to give some insight about this voltage regulator.

Captain Bob · **Reply #30 on:** April 20, 2022, 01:52:07 am

Well... I guess I win the "Idiot" contest! As I am looking at the charging issue, I again, ensured all wiring is correct and has good continuity, re-cleaned control box contacts, re-polarized the dynamo and also checked the dynamo output. Everything was as it should be. No problems found. I start the bike up and am watching the ammeter swing to the negative every time I rev it up and it hits me.... Duh...... the charging system is working perfectly. It is a positive ground system. If it was discharging the ammeter would swing positive. Just the opposite of how things are done here in the US. I am a big dummy! I am so used to the negative ground (earth) systems we use here that I forgot I was working with a positive ground. I should know better whereas my last two Triumph choppers and the Triumph pre-unit bobber my son and I recently built were also positive grounds. It is not like I haven't worked on these systems before. Oh well... there is a silver lining. As I was going through all my system checks, I did find a problem with the screw that holds the two wires into the dynamo. It seems some of the Bakelite material (I think that is what it is) on the end of the dynamo that screw goes into had chipped and the screw was therefore not long enough to securely hold the wires in place. I sourced a tad longer screw and remedied that little problem.

Now on to the oil leak. As I was going through the few spares I received with the bike, I was pleased to see that there was a brand-new timing chest cover gasket. Perfect. That timing cover will be removed next to see if the oil seal is properly installed. I also noticed after running the bike a bit, the gasket on the triangular plate on the magdyno unit was wet. I found the screws were not tight. I tightened the three screws I could access. The fourth screw will be accessible after I remove the magdyno unit from the engine. I am thinking a little blue loctite might be in order for these screws. more to come.....

Adrian II · **Reply #31 on:** April 20, 2022, 12:21:44 pm

Quote from: Captain Bob on April 17, 2022, 02:48:20 pm

They do not give them away do they.... However, you probably do not see many of these around either. Interesting magneto. A little different in design then my Lucas MOL1

The alien artefact magdyno went to 820GBP or $1,056.49 at auction! Some REALLY wanted that one...

A.

Captain Bob · **Reply #32 on:** April 20, 2022, 07:32:08 pm

Quote from: Adrian II on April 20, 2022, 12:21:44 pm

The alien artefact magdyno went to 820GBP or $1,056.49 at auction! Some REALLY wanted that one...

A.

WOW! I wasn't expecting that. I guess someone really did want it. That is some serious change.

Captain Bob · **Reply #33 on:** May 13, 2022, 01:02:07 am

Quick update on the oil leakage and also a question. I finally got some time to take a closer look at the oil puddling (while riding) at the rear base of the cylinder. It seems to definitely be coming from the magdyno/timing chest assembly. I pulled the timing chest cover off today and using a triumph timing gear to lock up the timing chest gears, was able to easily remove the nut of the magdyno gear. Now the big question.... Anyone have an easy way of pulling the magdyno gear? I do not have a puller that will fit between the case and the gear. Perhaps, Hitchcock's may sell the correct puller but was wondering if anyone has any tips/tricks they would like to share. I am reluctant to tap on the dyno shaft to try to free it up. Any thoughts, as always, are greatly appreciated.