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Other High Tension Magneto Parts
There were an awful lot of different high tension mags that were made over the years, and I can supply parts for a surprising number of them. They are grouped by manufacturer.
Eisemann
Magneto
Bendix
Magneto
Lucas, a.k.a "The Prince of Darkness"
Swiss/ American Swiss/ American
Morris
Eisemann Magneto Parts
Eisemann was one of the most prolific magneto makers, behind Wico, Bosch, & FM. They supplied mags for trucks, tractors, engines and airplanes. In the early days, their most popular mag was the "G" series. It was used on a long list of tractors and trucks. A knockoff of the very popular Bosch DU4, it proved to be a most reliable and powerful mag. I see many still in operation today and they are easilly repaired. The G was replaced with the "GS" and "GV" series, a smaller version of the "G". These were not quite as good, but still proved to be good mags. These mags were used extensively on LeRoi engines. Later mags like the "AM" and the many other mags, were as good as their contemporaries. The also supplied Caterpillar with heavy duty (looking) mags for their starting engines.
One of their last major contracts was for flywheel mags for Maytag twin cylinder engines. I don't know why Eisemann went out of buisiness, but I suspect increased competition lead to their demise.
I have a few parts for these mags, mostly new coils and condenser subsitutes from other makes of mags. I may have to see your mag to find a good substitute if I don't have one to look at. For Maytag parts, go to the Maytag page. I can have almost any coil rewound. Call or e-mail for details.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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"G" Series Mags |
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CLR40 |
Coil
rewind exchange |
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130.00 |
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CND40 |
Condenser
rebuild, you send me your condenser, I install a new modern-style condenser |
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25.00 |
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"GS" & "GV" Series Mags |
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CLR41 |
Coil
rewind exchange wit |
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130.00 |
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CND41 |
Condenser
rebuild, you send me your condenser, I install a new modern-style condenser |
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25.00 |
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Other
Eisemann Mags |
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FM110 |
A
generic condenser that fits in most mags |
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8.00 |
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Call
about your coil needs for all Eisemann mags including flywheel mags. |
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Bendix is the kind of company that likes to get into a market in a big way, sell a lot of stuff, and then get out in a big way. This was certainly their approach with their magneto division. They made a wide range of industrial grade mags for oilfield and commercial application engines, and also a line of flywheel mags for smaller engines. After the era of mags passed sometime in the 60's or 70's, Bendix got out of the buisiness. They supplied parts for a while, but not very long. I don't know of any new Bendix parts being made at this time.
One of the biggest problems with Bendix mags proved to be their coils. While they were no doubt good in their time, the epoxy coating that they used on their coils cracked over time breaking the wires inside. I have a friend who has a bunch of NOS coils, all in boxes, all no good because of the cracking problem. I can supply rewound coils that will not crack.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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BX01 |
"K"
series flywheel magneto coil, most mags |
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75.00 |
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FM110 |
A
generic condenser that fits in most mags |
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8.00 |
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Call
about your coil needs for all Bendix mags |
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BX01 coil dimensions: Overall length, 3 1/8" from end to end of the laminations, Coil body OD, 1 3/8", coil body length, 2". If your coil is even close to these dimensions, use BX01. The other coils are SIGNIFICANTLY smaller. You should be able to tell quite easily if you can use BX01 or you need a rewind. BX01 does not come with a molded-in high-tension wire. If you want one, order that separately.
Case magnetos were made on spec by Slick. They had custom embossing on the caps and other unique features.
There is a lot of demand for Case magneto parts today. I wish there was better news. Of course, coils are not a problem. I have some generic condensers that will fit. Points are not available. Caps will probably be made shortly. Stay tuned.
The Associated manufactoring company is well know for its line of farm engines and cream seperators. What few people know is that they made all their own magnetos, and was probably the only company to do so in the early teens. They first made 2 models of low-tension mags for use on their own eangines. The later version, the 2-bolt mount, was also supplied to John Deere for use in their engines. Associated later modified this design for high tension for use in their "Pony" or "Midget" 2-stroke engine. Reguardless of what you have probably heard, this was not a bad mag and worked very well in its day. They also made a multi cylinder version of this mag for their multi cylinder high-speed engines.
I make and supply a number of parts for this mag. It suffers the exploding pot-metal problem, which makes most that you find non-functional. I have repaired many of these mags quite successfully and have seen many of the Pony engines run quite nicely afterwards. I make the points myself. I have never seen a good pot-metal stationary point support yet. Most are cracked beyond use. Some have been dipped in varnish to hold them together, but have no electrical continuity from end to end!
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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CND01 |
A
generic condenser that fits nicely in the condenser tower |
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5.00 |
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CLR50 |
Coil
rewind, high tension |
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120.00 |
A Brittish mag used on a few Brittish engines. I don't see many of these mags, but the ones I have seen appear to be a cheap knock-off of the Bosch DU4 mags. I can always get coils rewound, and I have a few other parts.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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ML01 |
Springs
for oscillating mag |
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4.00 |
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ML02 |
Spring
rollers |
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4.00 |
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CLR53 |
Coil
rewind, check for model |
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130.00 |
Briggs got into the engine buisiness by purchasing the rights to the Smith Motor Wheel. This very popular item turned a horse carraige into a horseless carraige. As the lawnmower and washing machine business grew, so did the need for small inexpensive engines. Briggs made an impressive line of engines over the years and used mostly (to my knowledge) their own mags. While parts for some of the newer engines are still available from Briggs dealers, parts for the earlier ones are not. I have had many of these coils rewound over the years.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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CLR60 |
Coil
rewind, single spark, check for model |
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130.00 |
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CLR61 |
Coil
rewind, dual spark (2 cylinder), check for model |
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200.00 |
One of the many companies that came from Thomas Edison, this was one that he should have avoided. Edison made a variety of mags for early engines, none were very popular. Many of the early one worked OK, but not great. They later bought out Splitdorf after they fell on hard times and became known as Edison-Splitdorf. Their last ditch effort was the AJ mag for Gravely tractors. They tried putting too much into too small of a package for the time. The result was a weak mag that Gravely eventually dropped. Edison mags were also used on some of the earlier John Deere tractors (the GP I believe). I have seen some work OK, others, well.....
I can supply coils and condensers for these mags. Caps for the AJ will be available soon. Personally, my advice, when you have a failing Edison, replace it with something else. You will be much happier. If you must stay original, then I can probably help you out.
I like Splitdorf mags. The coils and condensers rarely fail, they are well built, and most have lots of brass that shines up real nice. Splitdorf was one of the leading magneto makers in its day. The "Aero" and "Dixie" mags were used on all sorts of cars, trucks, tractors, and engines. These mags were inductor mags, with the coils not being would on the armeture. It was a different design that was used by few magneto makers. IHC adopted the design in their F4 mag. Inductor mags completely went away after the invention of the Alnico permanent magnet.
Later Splitdorf mags were widely used on motorcycles like the Indian and the Harley-Davidson. They were also used on a wide variety of stationary engines including the Novo 2-cylinder, the Silent Alamo, and many others. Some of their earlier mags had the exploding pot metal problem. I usually have spare parts to repair these mags, and they are easilly found at shows.
I supply the usual, coils and condensers.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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CND01 |
A
generic condenser that fits in most mags |
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5.00 |
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CLR65 |
Coil
rewind, "Aero" & "Dixie", check for model |
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130.00 |
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CLR61 |
Coil
rewind, others, ask |
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BRG02 |
Bearings,
3 piece take apart, type E15 |
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25.00 |
Apollo made magnetos for a short time. The ones I have seen were knockoffs of the Bosch DU4 and were used on Fordson tractors (and probably a great many other places.) While not as good as Bosch, they were a fine mag. Other than that, I know little about them and have seen very few of them. As with most shuttle wound mags, I can rebuild condensers and have coils rewound.
I don't see too many Berling mags. They were used mainly on aircraft engines. A small Berling mag was used for a time on the Smith Motor Wheel, and I have seen them used a few other places that I can't remember. Nothing stands out good or bad about these mags. I can have coils rewound and can rebuild condensers. The magnet bands are usually cracked and no replacements are available. I may someday rectify this, but dont hold your breath. I may also make some leadout towers for the Smith Motor Wheel if I can find a good one to duplicate.
KW was the standard in magnetos before Splitdorf and Bosch became so popular. There are many varieties of KW mags, from the later ones used that looked much like a Splitdorf Aero mag, to the REAL early high-bar oscillating and rotary mags. Most KW mags make their presence very well known on an engine, since they were of such unique design.
I can supply coils and condensers for these mags, and maybe springs for the oscillating high-bar. Ask for details. I may also make some caps soon.
Webster, well known for their low tension mags, made over the span of years 2 different styles of high tension mags. In my opinion (and most other magneto repair men), 2 more than they should have. In fact, I would consider the first style to be the second worst mag ever made. The second wasn't much better.
The writting must have been on the wall for Webster in the late teens and early 20's. They were losing contracts left and right to Wico and American Bosch. People felt that the sparkplug was a simpler, cheaper, and more reliable ignition system. They were probably right. Feeling the pressure, they decided to modify their popular K & L series mags for high-tension. The 2 variants were called the HA and the HB. They wanted to avoid the shuttle-wound coil (the coil rotates with the armeture) design of Bosch and many others, possibly due to royalty issues. They settled on a slightly modified version of their low tension design, winding a secondary around a reduced-size primary, and squeezing points and a condenser in under the covers. The result was a marginal design that was impossible to repair. Coils needed to be mangled to get them installed, and there was not enough insulation between layers (and there were an awful lot of layers in the coil) to keep them from shorting out. Coupled with the cheap pot metal bodies that they used, they were a complete failure. They were used solely on Witte engines and a few Witte look-a-likes, and only for a short time. They were offered as an add-on kit, Webster supplied the mag, bracket, & linkage, you drilled & tapped the holes. After about a year, the whole project was scrapped and they lost the contract.
Many years later, and with a different engineering staff, they took one more shot at the high tension mag. Fueled by a contract with Cushman Engine Co., they designed a whole new modern, small, rotary high tension mag. It was actually a transformer mag, a low tension mag (which they were very experienced with) driving a transformer hidden inside the case. Someone in the engineering department must have had stock in a copper company! Why they did this, I am not sure. This mag wasn't that bad, but with all the copper, and the end of farm flywheel engines coming fast, there wasn't much buisiness to be had. These mags are in fact quite rare, and I have only seen one.
As for parts, I can supply a few things. I can say, however, that I CANNOT supply coils for HA and HB style mags. I can supply coils for the later rotary version. At some point in the future, I may have a conversion kit that transforms the HA & HB mags into a transformer mag. This has been tested on a prototype basis, and has proven to be satisfactory.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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WEB111 |
Spring,
mag 1 3/4 x 5/8, HA or HB mag |
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4.00 |
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WEB130 |
Spring
roller, HA or HB mag |
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2.50 |
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CND01 |
A
generic condenser that fits in most mags |
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5.00 |
If Webster made the second worse high tension mag, then Remy Brothers probably made the worse high tesnion mag. Though they were probably fine in their day (at least they were probably better that new Webster HT mags) they failed the test of time with the exploding pot metal problem. Pot metal started to become a popular replacement for bronze in magnetos (you couldn't use steel or cast iron for the frame since it would shunt out the magnetic field) in the late teens and early 20's. By the mid 20's just about all bronze was gone from magneto frames.
Pot metal was kind of a "witches brew" of a variety of different metals, with each company using their own private recipe. Some companies, like Webster, had a very good formula. It is rare to see a cracked Webster body. Others, like Remy and Associated were plagued with unpredictable results. Cracking pot metal was one of the great metalurgical mysteries of the time. Many companies had the problem, but few knew why. After many years of research, it was concluded to be be sum of a few problems. Certain mixtures seemed to crack more than others, but not always. Temperature and moisture content proved to be the final key to the puzzle. Many die cast houses probably turned off their melting kettles over the weekend to save money, and them turned them back on Monday. They poured as soon as the metal flowed, but the mixture probably did not fully burn off all collected moisture and the various metals were probably not yet fully blended. And so it was true, a mag made on a Monday was not as good as a mag made on a Wednesday.
It seemed Remy has terrible problems with certain models. The exploding pot metal was so bad, it pushed the pole pieces away from the armeture. This was the kiss of death, and the mag was completely unrepairable. One customer of a friend of mine was insistant on having a working orignial Remy mag on his engine. Since the poles had expanded, drastic measures had to be taken. The mag was stripped of its innerds, and then cut in half on a band saw. Yes, cut in half. The two halves were then epoxied together, reducing the width of the mag by the width of the saw blade. The pole faces were remachined, along with a variety of other things, and the mag was operational again. Neither he nor I have ANY intention of repeating this trick!
Remy Bros. later merged with Delco to become Delco-Remy, a leading supplier of automotive electrical parts. Don't bother asking your local parts store today about Remy magneto parts, they will have no idea what you are talking about!
Since there has been so much demand for a replacement for this mag, a conversion has been developed using a modern mag. Send me the entire mag and trip assembly and it can be retrofitted. Call with cost estimates. There were a few models of the Remy mag that did not appear to have the exploding pot metal and can probably be repaired. If you do have one of the few Remy Bros. mags that don't have the exploding pot metal, then coils can be rewound and condensers rebuilt.
Lucas, a.k.a "The Prince of Darkness"
Whenever I get a Lucas mag into the shop, I always wonder about the poor soul who got stranded with it one day... Lucas mags don't have reliability problems over time, they were simply never any good to begin with. If you've ever taken apart a quality mag, like a Bosch or a Swiss, you will see lots of little seals, redundant carbon brushes, and grease splash guards and things that you might think don't really need to be there. You will see none of those in a Lucas mag. And then you will understand why they are there in other mags and why Lucas had so many problems.
Lucas Electric made everything electrical for the Brittish automotive industry. Since they were government controlled, competition was not an issue. Therefore, the reset of their electric components had similar difficulties. I have yet to meet a Brittish sports car enthusiast who didn't have some "fond" recollection of the night his sports car died in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest house, with his girlfriend, under a full moon, the top down (the car's...), hoping help wouldn't arrive any time soon.... Maybe that was why Lucas parts were so popular!
I have rebuilt several of these mags. I can have coils rewound and rebuild condensers. Call or e-mail with your needs.
WIPAC mags are Wico magnetos made in the UK. The one I see the most is a direct knockoff of the type A Wico. It is used on a garden tractor. While no WIPAC parts are available in this country, there are a few available in England and I may be able to get some. The inside guts, coil, condenser, points, etc. are the same as a Wico A. Look in the Wico Rotary Magneto parts listing for these parts. The caps look different, but can be converted to regular Wico A caps. Those these aren't made any more (getting frustrated yet?) some used ones are generally not to hard to find. And some new ones may be made soon.
Swiss/ American Swiss/ American
The Swiss magneto company made a variety of single and multi cylinder mags for engines, cars, trucks, and tractors. Located in Chicago, their claim that their mags ran like a finely tuned Swiss watch was easilly substantiated. They were a fine copy of a Bosch shuttle wound mag, like the DU4. When or why the name changes, I do not know, but I suspect it was due to either the "Trading With The Enemy" act from WWI, or from American suspicions of the Swiss government cooperating with the Germans, or from American isolationist policies of the time. Never before, or never since, had the phrase "Buy American" held such dear meaning to US citizens. None the less, they were a fine mag, but a rare mag.
Swiss mags were used on several engines, but I have only seen small single cylinder mags. These were used on Elgin Haf-a-Horse, Smith Motor Wheels, and
I can supply coils and rebuild condensers for these mags. Let me know what model you have. If you need a lead-out tower for the single cylinder mag on the Elgin, I can probably supply that too.
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Order number |
Description |
Picture |
Price each |
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Condenser
rebuild |
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25.00 |
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CLR70 |
Coil
rewind, check for model |
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130.00 |
Phelon is one of the few companies still in the magneto business. They make mostly flywheel mags for smaller engines. I have yet to see one in my shop, but I do have some sources for some parts. Once I know what is in demand, I will add these items to my price sheet. In the mean time e-mail or call with your needs.
Another short lived company, these mags are quite rare. I have one in my posession that I suspect is from an early car or a truck. As usual, I can rewind coils and rebuild condensers.
Hienz Electric made mags in Lowel, MA, about 2 miles from where I live. They took the unusual step of using formed round bar stock for their magnets, rather than the traditional formed flat stock. Their single cylinder mag was used on one of the popular stationary engines (I can't remember which one) for a time. They were not very good. Needless to say, they should have stuck with a more conventional design. I can rewind coils, rebuild condensers, and probably supply bearings if they are standard. Though I have a couple in my collection (and one appears on my T-shirt), I have never had one apart.
While Elkhart is well known for its low tension mags supplied on early Sparta Economy engines, they also made a high tension mag. I have only worked on one, ever worked on a watch? That is what it is like inside. All the parts are very small, including the bearings which are some odd size. The biggest problem with these mags is related to the point disk. Elkhart mags use pot metal everywhere, including the key slot for the point disk. It should be no surprise what happens here. Where the base of the point disk goes into the armeture is a thin straight tube with a knockout for a key. This swells and jams inside the armeture. When you try to remove the disk, it breaks. It is not hard to fix, but you must send me the mag.
The mags that I have seen were used on Smith Motor Wheel and on the Stewart Little Wonder sheep shearing engine. I can have the coils rewound and rebuild the condensers. The bearings are a strange size, I may be able to get them, but I have never tried and it would be a special order.
Mea was a magneto company that had some really innovative and different designs. For example, one of their earlier mags was designed so that timing could be adjusted without loosing any output power (most other mags have diminishing power off of the center point of the timing adjustment.) They accomplished this by rotating the entire mag with respect to the coupling, not just the point cam. It was a Mea mag that was used on the Wright Bros Flyer.
I can have coils rewound and probably rebuild condensers.
I don't know much about the history of Morris Magneto, I can only surmise from the few Morris mags that I have worked on. Morris appears to have sold magnetos for use on motorcycles. What they really did was buy magnetos from Fairbanks Morse, add their own impulse coupling, change the tag, polish the case to a mirror finish, and then probably double the price! Inside, all the parts are Fairbanks Morse.
While I don't have any Morris literature (if anybody has some they are willing to copy, I would appreciate it), I can supply parts such as coils, points, condensers, brearings, caps, and the like if I can determine what make of Fairbanks Morse mag it really is.
This is by no means a complete list. This merely comprises the few high tension
magneto companies that I am aware of. If you have some information on other
mags, I would love to get a copy of it. I hope that this list will grow over time
and will eventually include some pictures.