46 C w/magneto help

If you impluse spring is broken - that is when you turn it over mounted in a vice you do not hear a click - they you are at least 180 degrees out of time.  You may want to send it to a shop for repair.  Steve at B&B is a sponsor on this site.  He will have the parts and the knowledge to fully repair your mag.  Perhaps you can find a more local mechanic.  

I always test a magneto in a vise using a spark plug wire from the cap and watching the spark from the wire end to the magneto case. I make sure I have a good spark from each wire. Without a hand crank you can find the compression top dead center by removing the valve cover and make sure both rocker arms are up with a gap under both valves. I find it easier to back the engine up to where the magneto drive will line up without having tension on the impulse spring. Make sure the next time the impulse snaps it is going to fire number one plug wire before mounting the magneto. I do this in the vise when testing for spark then tape the drive so it can not turn backwards. It can turn back all day long and you will not know which wire it will fire on after mounting.

Guys, the mag is working fine.  My issue is I was treating it like a distributor, trying to line up the rotor when the engine was on #1 tdc.  I guess I came to the realization that since the mag drive slot it not horizontal on #1 tdc,  the inpulse action of the mag would not be timed correctly and thus the reason im having trouble.  Correct?  what im saying is,  since the governor gear is not timed correctly,  it would cause the impulse to trip at the wrong time even if I have the rotor on #1.

Dick L wrote: The governor gear "must" be timed horizontal at top dead center on the compression stroke as in the picture below. You can check this with the TDC or CENTER line in the center of the inspection hole. In the vise is where you can snap the impulse and watch for the spark to know when the gears are lined up properly. If you gear has the marking on then you need to engage the C over the taper tooth on the small gear.

I will verify the cam timing when I pull the governor gear.  I had the valve cover off and was watching #1 intake to verify tdc and when piston is up both valves are closed but its possible to be off a tooth or 2.  When I got the tractor the governor housing was loose as if it had been removed, I suspected, to repair the throttle pivot pin/oil tube as it was loose in the housing.  so who knows!?

TDC can be found by looking at the set screw on the front crankshaft pulley.  the keyway from the factory lines up with the crank journals.  On a B, C, CA you'll see it pointing pointing straight up when 1 and 4 pistons are at TDC and straight down when pistons 2 and 3 are at TDC.  The other way on a WC, WD engine.  I might be remembering this backwards but as you are turning the crankshaft it is easy to follow it.  As air is pushing out from the spark plug hole on number one, start looking at the set-screw and continue turning until it is vertical whether it is down or up.  Of course if someone has welded up the crankshaft and machined a new keyway all this goes out the window but I have never seen one not lined up.

YES. Tom I got to thinking and went to your website and looked at the magneto timing.  Then did the head smack (doh).  if I would have looked in the timing gear section of my book im sure its in there but was flusterd and trying to find it in the electrical/ignition section lol

not yet, between harvesting and family stuff havnt had a chance to work on it.  mom and kids will be gone a couple days end of this week so ill have time then.

Good Deal!

Congratulations!!! Glad to see another AC back to life.
Good Luck!
Bill Long