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Sat Jul 05, 2008 12:50 am

dog_jr911 wrote: this should be in minimans and scott novaks thread.... or added to it.....

I don't think they will. We let no one know :lol: :lol:

Sat Jul 05, 2008 3:00 am

dog_jr911 wrote: this should be in minimans and scott novaks thread.... or added to it.....

It's no secret what a magneto is, or what it does. I'm not going to get into it because, quite frankly, they have no place in a street driven vehicle other then the 'wow' factor. I'll buy that aircraft and racecars have the need, because they operate independently of the car's electrical system, and are therefore a huge safety factor in those applications. However, their lack of accurate timing control, like a distributor, cancels any positive benefit in a street driven application for me.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 8:53 am

A magneto is the most reliable and fool proof iginition you could ever put on a motor.

Sat Jul 05, 2008 9:37 am

I have a Joe Hunt magneto sitting in a box. Is there a way to determine if the advance is locked out or not without installing it on an engine and running it?

Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:42 pm

I was thinking of getting a locked out one for my blower motor.

Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:43 am

I run one on a 327 in a dirt late model, I have a battery and no charging system.

Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:54 am

Do magnetos have a mechanical advance mechanisim?

Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:04 am

stoneloco808 wrote: I have a Joe Hunt magneto sitting in a box. Is there a way to determine if the advance is locked out or not without installing it on an engine and running it?

I think it would work with one of those distributer testers like Glenn has:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l34CmJgHjU8&eur...p;start=40

Sun Jul 13, 2008 9:22 am

i like your steve zissou icon jessy.

sorry to threadjack guys.

Sun Jul 13, 2008 12:03 pm

Messy Jesse wrote: I think it would work with one of those distributer testers like Glenn has:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l34CmJgHjU8&eur...p;start=40

Thanks, I guess I am out of luck, I don't think anyone has that machine on this rock in the middle of the Pacific.

Another question, what is the advantage or disadvantage of both, w/advance and w/locked out advance?

Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:43 pm

Guys, sorry to crash the thread, but finding folks who know what a Vertex magneto is let alone may be able to provide assistance has been a challenge.

I have a freshly rebuilt Vertex magneto (Joe Hunt did the rebuild). I also purchased from them the Magneto Tach Converter, since I'll be running a newer electronic tach. Has anyone used this box from Hunt for this purpose?

I have downloaded the wiring diagram that comes with the converter and I'm still a bit confused. Here is what I think needs to be done.....

Red - connect to a 12 volt switch power source

Black - connect to vehicle ground

Violet - connect to the input of the tach

Brown/Black - connect to one side of the kill switch along with a wire to the vehicle ground

Brown/Orange - connect to one side of the kill switch along with a wire from the terminal on the magneto

Brown/Yellow - No need to use in my situation

Does my interpretation of where the last three wires go correct?

Thank you in advance for any guidance.

Sun Apr 23, 2023 9:42 am

Here you go...

Don't worry about Brown / Orange and Brown / Yellow.

Just hook up Brown / Black to the ground lug on the magneto.

Sun Apr 23, 2023 11:32 am

VeloMikey wrote: Here you go...

Don't worry about Brown / Orange and Brown / Yellow.

Just hook up Brown / Black to the ground lug on the magneto.

Here is how I currently have it connected. This should work right?

The reason I'm asking is that I have mounted the converter under the dash and have already run the ground/kill wire to the magneto.

Mon Apr 24, 2023 6:16 am

BobKTX wrote: VeloMikey wrote: Here you go...

Don't worry about Brown / Orange and Brown / Yellow.

Just hook up Brown / Black to the ground lug on the magneto.

Here is how I currently have it connected. This should work right?

The reason I'm asking is that I have mounted the converter under the dash and have already run the ground/kill wire to the magneto.

I think you are good. If it doesn't work correctly try moving the ground to the other side of the switch.

Tue Apr 25, 2023 7:39 am

Since the converter is the same one that Autometer sells I reached out to them, while I'm waiting to hear back from Joe Hunt's tech guy. They tell me that this converter will not work with the Vertex OAC, but I swear I checked this out before I bought the converter and electronic tach. I also spoke with a guy from a company called Fuel Injected that sells a Hall Effect sensor for the Vertex magneto, but since it sends two pulses per revolution, you need to setup your tach for 1/2 the number of cylinders you have in order to get an accurate reading. The problem is that the electronic tach I have will not allow me to configure it for three cylinders.......

Tue Apr 25, 2023 11:32 am

BobKTX wrote: Since the converter is the same one that Autometer sells I reached out to them, while I'm waiting to hear back from Joe Hunt's tech guy. They tell me that this converter will not work with the Vertex OAC, but I swear I checked this out before I bought the converter and electronic tach. I also spoke with a guy from a company called Fuel Injected that sells a Hall Effect sensor for the Vertex magneto, but since it sends two pulses per revolution, you need to setup your tach for 1/2 the number of cylinders you have in order to get an accurate reading. The problem is that the electronic tach I have will not allow me to configure it for three cylinders.......

What is an OAC Magneto? Internal coil? My buddy gave me my mag and the Autometer adapter box. It all worked in his sand car so I know it works. The only thing that didn't come out of his car is my Autometer tach. I will buy a new tach if necessary. Why do you need to set the tach to a 3 cylinder? Do you have a six cylinder?

Here is a link to the instructions. You want to set it to 3 pulse not 3 cylinder.
https://www.autometer.com/pub/media/manual/2650-1165.pdf

Tue Apr 25, 2023 6:09 pm

How great was this forum BITD, eh?

Tue Apr 25, 2023 7:24 pm

Clatter wrote: How great was this forum BITD, eh?

I'm thrilled that I could re-activate a 15 year old thread to get the answers I needed. Many thanks to all.

Mon Sep 23, 2024 5:51 pm

Yesterday, my adult son and I started up my 1959 Chevy straight six ( 261 cubic inches) engine that had recently been rebuilt. Happily, it started on the first turn of the key after I spent a week re-installing the engine, trans, and other components. I spent some time tuning the idle and was happy with the outcome.

Today, I went to fire up the engine, but forgot to turn the fuel pump on. The engine ran for a few seconds until the fuel bowl was empty and then stopped suddenly. I then realized my error and turned the fuel pump on. The engine cranked but would not even cough to get started. I've spent all day chasing every angle of spark, air, fuel. Using a spark tester (wire between plug and wire that lights up with spark), I can see that there is spark but I've come to believe that the issue is with the magneto.

When I took the cap off to see what was going on, I saw that the engine builder neglected to put the red plastic isolator piece under the rotor, he probably lost it. I fashioned one from some gasket material and punched holes for the rotor, the conductor, and the two screw holes. Despite those efforts the engine still would not start.

I decided to ensure that the engine was getting adequate ground and using my multi-meter, I found that the engine was getting great ground, no issues. When I tested continuity from the frame to the Vertex (internal coil) magneto case, I saw that it was grounded, as I would have expected given that its mounted into the engine block, but I became concerned when I was getting continuity to the grounding terminal on the side of the magneto. In fact, I get continuity between the terminal and the magneto case too. I thought the grounding terminal was isolated from the case, so that when I used the switch on the dash it would ground out that terminal to stop the magneto.

Should the grounding terminal show continuity to the case?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

Mon Sep 23, 2024 5:52 pm

Yesterday, my adult son and I started up my 1959 Chevy straight six ( 261 cubic inches) engine that had recently been rebuilt. Happily, it started on the first turn of the key after I spent a week re-installing the engine, trans, and other components. I spent some time tuning the idle and was happy with the outcome.

Today, I went to fire up the engine, but forgot to turn the fuel pump on. The engine ran for a few seconds until the fuel bowl was empty and then stopped suddenly. I then realized my error and turned the fuel pump on. The engine cranked but would not even cough to get started. I've spent all day chasing every angle of spark, air, fuel. Using a spark tester (wire between plug and wire that lights up with spark), I can see that there is spark but I've come to believe that the issue is with the magneto.

When I took the cap off to see what was going on, I saw that the engine builder neglected to put the red plastic isolator piece under the rotor, he probably lost it. I fashioned one from some gasket material and punched holes for the rotor, the conductor, and the two screw holes. Despite those efforts the engine still would not start.

I decided to ensure that the engine was getting adequate ground and using my multi-meter, I found that the engine was getting great ground, no issues. When I tested continuity from the frame to the Vertex (internal coil) magneto case, I saw that it was grounded, as I would have expected given that its mounted into the engine block, but I became concerned when I was getting continuity to the grounding terminal on the side of the magneto. In fact, I get continuity between the terminal and the magneto case too. I thought the grounding terminal was isolated from the case, so that when I used the switch on the dash it would ground out that terminal to stop the magneto.

Should the grounding terminal show continuity to the case?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.