New 1965 Sporty xlch in the garage and the magneto is the issue....

[KNUCK]

One minute I have spark and the next I don't. Can't see any loose wires outside of it. My first mag bike so not easy. I bought not running but looks like it ran prior to storage, and stored for 10 years or so. When I got spark motor popped each kick, with a shot of starter fluid. As a side note I drained couple quarts out of bottom end. Any idea???

[Rubone]

Disconnect the wire to the outside post and see if you have spark. Also, any accumulated dirt, corrosion, or moisture that gets in the mag can seriously affect it. It needs to be spotless inside, the points set and clean, or it won't work. If it has a key switch check that for internal short (take wire off it on inside and see if you get consistent spark).

[KNUCK]

I will get inside and check it out. Has S&S carb so may have to pull it for access. Pulled plug out, checking spark at plug grounded out on rocker and it would spark 4 or 5 kick and then nothing for 10 kicks. Thanks Robbie. Any more thoughts.........

[Chris Haynes]

You will probably have to have the magnets re-magnetized. Not a major deal.

[kitabel]

Replace the condenser

[KNUCK]

I will change the condenser and clean things up a bit and go from there, easy enough to begin with.

[BoschZEV]

You will probably have to have the magnets re-magnetized.

This almost certainly isn't necessary, and isn't consistent with the symptoms anyway.

Replace the condenser

This is very easy to do and should be done, but the symptoms may point to a problem with the coil. But, change the condenser, clean things up, burnish the points to remove oxide, and check the gap. With luck that may be all it takes.

[tator]

I was having problems with a magneto on a 1960 XLCH. I put in a new set of excel points and a condenser and had the magneto re-charged. I bought a new coil from Dennis Kirk, still had problems. I sent the magneto out to Rudy Kalin in Forrest Lake MN who does magneto's for just about everything. He found out the condenser value was way off and the aftermarket coils that are floating around on the internet, even though they look and fit identical to the sportster original, they are for a Wisconsin motor and the Wisconsin motor has a big spring inside the magneto to spin them real fast, so that coil will run a sportster according to Rudy if you could get a gorilla to kick it fast enough. So he installed a different coil and different condenser. It is now a 2 kick bike. I am just posting this so you stay away from the Chinese coil and the excel condenser. Hope this helps. If you want to send your magneto to Rudy, here is his phone #651-233-6655.

[T. Cotten]

Damn those Wisconsin motors, Tator!

They are why NGK switched their A-6 plugs to resistors without telling anyone.

Every mag 'magnet' that crossed my benches needed "re-magnetized".

I think its really "re-polarized", but electrons are out of my zodiac.

....Cotten
PS: I'm pretty sure that included my own Edison-Splitdorf; I trusted a reliable mag-meister in the next town.
All I remember is that its got a B&S coil.

[KNUCK]

Thanks all, I did a test on the condenser, seemed fine, original Fairbanks. I will likely change it if still a no go. Thanks for the number tator as my electrical skills are weak and I have no patience, I'm not a doctor.

[KNUCK]

I see Cotton and I joined the AMCA Forum the same month in 2001. That is a long time ago! Charter members?

[Chris Haynes]

Rudy Kalin is the man. He did the Wico Magneto for my Model A Ford.

[BoschZEV]

Thanks all, I did a test on the condenser, seemed fine,

What test did you do? If you simply checked its resistance, and even if you found a high value, that's not good enough. If a condenser fails the resistance test with a standard ohmmeter it definitely won't work in a magneto, but passing that test does not mean it will.

[KNUCK]

Thanks Chris and Bosch for the last 2 bits of information, will likely send it out as electrical is my weak area.

[kurly]

Rudy fixed the mag on my steel wheeled Farmall F-12 tractor. I was so frustrated as it would always start will a pull from a truck but take 1000 turns with the crank. It now starts perfect. Rudys the man.

Curly