Home-Made Indian Vertical Distributor

[JTR249]

I recently purchased a home-made distributor for a 1950 Indian Road Warrior. Someone told me the distributor ignition is more reliable on these bikes.
However, I noticed after taking sand paper to the ID plate on the end that it is not an original for the verticals. Those were made by Kansas City Indian. This one is someone's Auto-Lite conversion. Indian made them to be used on the Scout and Warrior models.
Will this one still be useful or did I buy a useless part? The cap is wooden.

-JR

[JTR249]

This is an image of an original.
-JR

[T. Cotten]

I had one in the shop once upon a time with a conversion, JR,..

Or else I wouldn't even venture a guess.

A quality "Maytag" cap seems like it should fit, but your pic gives us little clue if a standard rotor will.

....Cotten

[JTR249]

Cotten,

Diameter of the wooden cap is exactly 2 and 5/16" on the one in the initial post.
Pete says you can get adaptors from Jim Garrett. Sometimes you see them at VCB also.

BMB should have no problem doing the modification.
How does this type of thing usually work from your experience? Do you think distributor ignition is better than magneto?
Thanks.
-JR

[T. Cotten]

My experience is next to nil, JR!

Memory fails, but I think they just added a battery and used the mag points, and it really didn't run great.

Obviously, a correct, working mag should be ideal, but if a cap and rotor fits, I'd try it.

Can you read the numbers on the Autolite tag?

....Cotten

[JTR249]

Yes. The tag says, " IGW 4049 1.1 W" though I am not so certain about the first 1 which could be an L. Need to sand a little more with a dremel tool to be sure.
What does the tag information mean?
I'm using a magneto set-up on my 49 Scout that Wally's shop is putting together for me in the fall. I was lucky enough to find one that came from storage and had been on a shelf for about 50 years. Really didn't look like it had been used at all. After new coil and a basic rebuild, she should be good as new.
-JR

[T. Cotten]

Spare the abrasives, JR! Please.

The GW number should be enough to determine if it was for a vertical or a v-twin, but I haven't any references.

A great community for verticals (as well as all Indians) is https://groups.io/g/VirtualIndian, and I encourage you to subscribe and post questions to this still-active mailing list.

It may be an out-dated format, but that's where you will find those who know, Good luck!

....Cotten

[JTR249]

Thanks Cotten. Just joined yesterday because you told me about this a little while ago. Put it off until.
I'll see if I can find the code.
-JR

[JTR249]

Cotten,

I found the manual online after a quick search. Here's a shot of the page in the technical manual.
I suppose the type of construction of these was applicable to any two cylinder. The manual calls the one in my original reference photo Type 3 and the correct alpha-numeric was IGW 4049.
I guess they were originally designed for military Indian motorcycles and then modified for other later applications. Part of Indian's genius in that regard, though I am clueless also on how good they operated.

For some reason no photos are loading now. Here is the entry information;

Distributor: IGW 4049
Rotation: RH 9right hand when viewed from the top).
Cylinders: 2
Condenser Capacity Mfd. 0.20 to 0.25
Contact Gap Inches 0.020
Cam Dwell 111 degrees
Manual Advance 18 degrees
Governor Max ...(nothing listed)
Advance Curve ...(nothing listed)

Thank you for the help.
-JR

[T. Cotten]

I'm clueless, too, JR!

But I would be seriously surprised if the points cam was the same for a vertical as a v-twin.

'Duff' on the mailing list aughta know, or I'll be pissed.

....Cotten

[JTR249]

Pete emailed earlier and said it is not the one for V-Twins. I just asked him to clarify if there was another distributor that Indian used.
I thought all Chiefs and Sport Scouts were called V-Twins with the exception of earlier 45 model engines.
The one at Starklite says IGW 4053.
We'll see what Duff says.
-JR

[JTR249]

OK, he just clarified this information. All you have to do is change the cam/rotor to one with lobes 180 degrees apart.

Since I do not see a shaft in the adaptor photo, I am guessing that this would be an extra part in addition to the adaptor?

So, if you are going to rebuild a new one and you have a good vertical, you can have one built.

Pete did not know what model Kansas City Indian used, so if any of you know who have verticals with distributor ignition, please post if you have an original.
These would be much like seeing the proverbial unicorn at the swap meet. I am assuming instead of saying Auto-Lite, they would say Kansas City Indian?
Don't know as i have never seen one.

-JR

[JTR249]

Here's a Kansas City Indian original. Photos courtesy of Wally Brown of BMB Cycles, NC.

-JR

[JTR249]

Here is an image of the data plate on my recently purchased distributor.
I also found numbers on the rotor housing.
-JR

[JTR249]

Original Indian Vertical Distributor BMB Data Plate View.jpg This is an original data plate via BMB Cycles.
-JR