WD45 with Magneto?

OK, so I rebuilt the carb (sort of unrelated, but it needed it) and still nothing. Maybe a few pops here and there. When I went to rough time the magneto I tried putting it at TDC and rocking the mag back to get the impulse to snap and it will only snap after I turn the engine over a little by hand and its well into the power stroke (so the timing is extremely late). So from what I can see is that the timing from the governor gears on a WD45 is not compatible with a WD magneto. You just can't get it to snap at TDC like it should. It's not even close. So now I am going to go back and rebuild the rickety magneto that someone previously turned into a distributor and re-install that. 

Edited by Zsartell - 10 May 2017 at 9:10pm

It sounds like you have checked out the obvious.  Here are a couple of things you might want to try.   Remove a spark plug.  With the spark plug wire attached ground the end of the plug against the engine and have someone turn over the engine (hold the plug with pliers so you don't get shocked).  See if you have a good spark at the end of the plug.  This will tell you if you have spark all the way to the cylinders.  (If you have not done so, it is best install new spark plugs.  Old plugs may not fire as hot).  I had a C magneto that had a frayed ground wire so it was grounding itself out.  If you have spark, do the starting fluid test again.  If the tractor runs on starting fluid, the problem is in the fuel.  It could be a clogged sediment bowl, fuel line or the carburetor.  

Edited by Larry in NC - 04 May 2017 at 1:11pm

Remember that TDC will show at the top of the compression as well as the exhaust strokes. Be sure you are at TDC of the compression stroke. Put the C/A mag setting back where it was. When you know you are at TDC of the #1 compression stroke look at the mag rotor and make sure it is pointed at the wire that goes to the #1 cylinder.

there also is a timming mark on the flywheel for TDC' then check piston? when turn should fire on number 1

Yeah, I made sure I was at TDC by taking out the plug and feeling the piston with a wire come all the way to the top.

I have a 1951 WD tractor that has a WD45 engine in it. When I got it there was a hackjob done to change the magneto ignition to run on a coil instead. The tractor never really ran all that well and after sitting for a while I diagnosed poor compression on one cylinder and almost nothing on another. I rebuild the head and after replacing it I installed a full magneto setup off of a WD that a neighbor traded some work for. It has spark after cleaning it all up and I replaced the plugs and wires for good measure. I put the beveled gear at "C" and made sure it was a TDC. I cleaned out the carb although it could probably use a rebuild, it did run before with the carb in worse condition. For the life of me I could not get this thing to pop at all. I had fresh gas and even tried a little starting fluid. I double checked the timing a million times and nothing. For kicks I put the rotor gear between "C" and "A" and with some starting fluid got it to run (at least on the fluid). As of right now I'm just confused. Is there some strange timing differences from the magneto to the distributor it must have had when new?