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What Would You Do?
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jshoemaker View Drop Down
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Joined: 17 Mar 2010
Location: Missouri
Points: 56 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jshoemaker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: What Would You Do?
    Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 8:20am
I am rebuilding my 1948 WC and have the orignal Mag and also a distributor that it had been converted to.  Which one do I use and also which one is more reliable?
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Max(ia) View Drop Down
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Joined: 15 Sep 2009
Location: Polk County,Ia
Points: 536 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Max(ia) Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 8:51am
Although I can't help you on your question.  I will be watching this thread, when all the knowledge kicks in, to see which scores the highest..
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JC-WI View Drop Down
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: wisconsin
Points: 33901 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JC-WI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 9:08am
I guess it would depend if you want to restore it back to authenicity or the way the former users used it. 
 was the tractor bought by the family new? Then put the mag back on and you can say, 'this is what it was like when grandpa/great uncle/cousion twice removed bought it new'.
 If it just a tractor you bought to play with, then just put the mag on the shelf until you sell it and let the next owner have his choice.
  I just bought an old WC with the FM RV mag on it, tractors in real tough shape but the mag is the origional mag to it. So its staying. Got a U that the mag was changed from base mount to an FM flange mount mag, its going to stay that way too cause that is how I got it and did not get the origional with it...and this one is still a hot mag.
  Personally if the tractors are not used much, and are hand crankers, mag is the way. Got a cat that some one converted the mag over to coil and I have to carry a battery to it when I want to use it. Decided to convert it back to mag so I can just crank the pony and start the big engine and go. 
 Boils down to your choice... have fun
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Kip-Utah View Drop Down
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Joined: 14 Sep 2009
Location: Southern Utah
Points: 874 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kip-Utah Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 9:08am
I prefer the magneto, for one reason only. You can run the tractor with a weak battery or even no battery at all if you need to. We have three WCs and two still run mags, one is a FM & the other a Wico. Our third WC is converted to a distributor with parts from a WD45, but does not really have any advantages over the other two, they all run great, but after setting for a long time the converted tractor does not always start. Kip
HANSEN'S OLD ORANGE IRON. Showing, Pulling, & Going!!
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CJohnS MI View Drop Down
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Joined: 27 Jun 2010
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Points: 326 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CJohnS MI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 9:35am
Originally posted by jshoemaker jshoemaker wrote:

I am rebuilding my 1948 WC and have the orignal Mag and also a distributor that it had been converted to.  Which one do I use and also which one is more reliable?


Define "reliable". Theoretical, or practical?

In theory the mag, hands down. No battery required, so it works as long as the engine can be made to turn over. The impulse coupler assures that.

In practice, the distributor. New parts are cheap and plentiful. Everything that matters - points, condenser, cap & dust shield - under $25.00. Batteries have gotten a LOT better these last 60 years.

The top part of a mag is as easy to work on as a distributor - but a cap will set you back major dollars. Points alone will cost more than ALL the parts needed in the distributor. When it quits - how easy is it to check that expensive coil? When the impulse drive stops "impulsing" - where you gonna go to get one, and how long will you wait for it?

If the model tractor you have calls for a mag, and you hang out with purists, then by all means get one, put everything new in it - and I mean EVERYTHING, then pop it in when you have company over, or go to a show. Afterward, put the distributor back in. This way, you can be snooty AND have fun.

Summary: When the tractor, magneto and distributor were all new 60 years ago, the mag was the winner. Today, for every day use,the distributor is.
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Gerald J. View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Hamilton Co, IA
Points: 5636 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gerald J. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 10:16am
The distributor with centrifugal advance should give better fuel economy. Mags tend to not have and internal adjustable advance mechanism to time the spark optimally for any speed. The impulse start retards the spark for cranking ease, then its advanced to a fixed position. The gas engine needs variable advance because it takes a certain time to reach peak combustion chamber pressure and at faster engine speeds that's more degrees of crankshaft rotation that at idle. Then with the leaner mixer from part throttle operation the engine needs more advance, but few tractor engines got that.

Gerald J.
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DREAM View Drop Down
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Joined: 06 Jan 2010
Location: Elberton,GA
Points: 1828 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DREAM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Sep 2010 at 9:24pm

My 2 cents on this. The tractor came out with a mag on it. That was the technology of the time.

Yes, parts are more expensive and harder to find, but they can be found. Tractor Supply carries the points/condenser set for the FMJ series mags on the Bs/Cs(I have a C). The internet and this site are wonderful tools. You can find parts, order them, and go back to  doing something else while you wait for them to come in. No driving around and hassling to get what you need. If you were making a living with it, it might be a different story. I found that the mag was not hard to work on at all. Taking your time and doing it right is the key.
 
Fuel economy and peak horsepower may not be acheivable with the mag. Is this something that matters to you, or are you just wanting a tractor that starts every time and runs well? Distributor is better for efficiency. Mag is better for convenience. I don't have time to worry about the battery. If I get tractor time, I want to be able to get on and go. I work out of town a lot, and don't have time to fuss with a battery during the week. I get home, service what needs to be serviced, crank it and go.
 
Weigh out what you want to do, and what you believe in. I am not a purist, and don't care if it's original. I just want it to work. The mag does that for me.
 
Long post short, either mag or distributor will work fine. Just decide what makes you happy. 


Edited by DREAM - 14 Sep 2010 at 9:25pm
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