Petter A1 rebuild

blackvanman wrote:

bgoth wrote:Thanks for your advice, I'll get a new plug, make the temp repairs more permanent, sort out the gaskets and have another go. Need to get myself a starting handle as well, I'm making hard work for myself starting it with a bit of rope!

Engine number is 153958? Last digit is hard to read, I'm guessing a 3 or an 8

Thanks

Ok, I got bored

Engine No 1539583
Customer:
William Bunce & Son
Engineers
Ashbury (Berks)
Swindon (Wilts)
order placed 19/06/1959
2HP at 1000rpm

Engine No 1539588
Customer:
Bomford Bros. Ltd
Pitchell
nr Evesham
order placed 28/04/1959
2HP at 1000rpm

how does that play out?

the 1st engine well that intreasting as bunce still exist now , they build snow ploughs and brushes and the suck like to go on the front of lorrys , Well known ploughs though as seen them up in scotland . Quite a small family owned company , a friend of mine used to work for them . When you say ashbury berks ... it used to be berks as its on the edge of swindon in wilts . its not far where i used to live .

matt

Wow, thats really cool! So a 1959 engine regardless of which one it is!

That's older than me, no wonder it needs a little TLC!

Thanks

blackvanman wrote:

stationary stu wrote:The way to look at it, if it was running before and not now what's changed? You've not moved the mag timing so that should be ok. As you say the plug has to do a lot more under compression so maybe re-new the plug and HT lead, don't use a baker-lite cap with a suppressor fitted, try to use just the brass ring type of connector to attach it to the plug. Clean and gap the points look at the points to see if it's been arcing across the tips. Check them first and see how you get on.

Stu.

it was in a hedge for an un-known amount of time before stu

Yep I'd forgot about that bit

Looks as if you have plenty to be going at, all I'm going to add is don't be to hopeful of it being a good engine. If it's been dumped in a hedge with petrol in the tank I think it needs more then an HT lead and plug to sort it out.

Good luck,

Stu.

Knock the plug gap down to .018" maximum (should be .016-.020", I gap all mine to .017" to allow for wear). New plugs will probably have a gap that is way too big for an old mag. Bigger gap will give a weaker spark & if it's too big it will put strain on the mag coil windings.

If you have a multimeter (test meter) you can very easily test the magneto. I can talk you through how to do it.

I had to completely strip the mag on my Scott, over the weekend, in a field! I've been at a rally all bank holiday weekend (just got back) & the mag had dried up on that engine, that's a Wico A mag with impulse, I managed to completely strip it, clean & rebuild with basic tools & I didn't lose any bits in the grass. So they're not that difficult to strip down. If the mag is dirty it won't be working at it's best, also chances are the oil inside the mag will have dried up & gone like resin, which won't help.

Funny thing is I left the mag on the Scott when I rebuilt the engine, as it was working fine, I wouldn't do that now, but I rebuilt that one a little while ago & do things a little differently now. Mag should really come off & be stripped. Just be careful with the impulse spring (we can help you out).

Maybe I'll strip one of the old ones I've got in the workshop, take some pictures & do a quick thread on how they come apart. See how I go this week, if I've got time I will knock up a thread on the good old Wico A mag. They're quite simple, as mags go.

If you've got a spark then just leave it for now, it should be ok just to get it running.

I would put proper HT lead on it. The mains lead will work but will leak if it touches the casing.
Wind it over with choke. You should hear a slurping noise from the carburetor. 3 or 4 slurps and let the choke off and it should fire.

Capstan wrote:I would put proper HT lead on it. The mains lead will work but will leak if it touches the casing.
Wind it over with choke. You should hear a slurping noise from the carburetor. 3 or 4 slurps and let the choke off and it should fire.

Proper, copper cored HT lead will give you a better spark. If the other wire is touching metal it will leak some voltage through the insulation. But I don't think that's necessarily what's holding you back.