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Converting Magneto ignition to coil ...
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RotaryBri



Joined: 20 Dec 2007
Posts: 465
Location: Warwick

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Julian wrote:
RotaryBri wrote:
The 12v gel battery on my Victa motor mower lasted for 20 years and is used on some motorcycles as well. The replacement cost me £60 which is not expensive if it lasts as long. These Victa mowers seem to go on forever.


That's good for an battery powered mower. You don't see many these days - many years ago I remember they were common, with basically a 12V lead acid 'car' type battery sitting on the deck. Now worries with slicing the cord Sad

I'm not sure why a mower needs a gel battery it's isn't a normal requirement for a mower to be capable of working upside down Very Happy

Julian.


Sorry Julian,

My mower is not an electric powered one it has an electric start 4 stroke motor.
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RotaryBri

1976 NSU Ro80
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Bitumen Boy



Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 1733
Location: Above the snow line in old Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Julian wrote:
Bitumen Boy wrote:
Julian wrote:


I'm not sure why a mower needs a gel battery it's isn't a normal requirement for a mower to be capable of working upside down Very Happy

Julian.


No, but you can let it down a steep - but smooth - bank on a length of rope, and thus mow grass you couldn't even stand up on. Damned hard work with a petrol mower and I doubt much easier with a battery, but certainly possible and probably the thinking behind using gel batteries.


Ah yes, I was forgetting that. I've seen the council do that with Flymos!

Julian.


Were they swinging them across the bank like a pendulum? That really is a full-body workout Smile you'll never see a fat guy doing that job... Laughing
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Roger-hatchy



Joined: 07 Dec 2007
Posts: 2135
Location: Tiptree, Essex

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Never seen a Mobility scooter running upside down either Laughing
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Julian



Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 278
Location: Warrington

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bitumen Boy wrote:
Julian wrote:
Bitumen Boy wrote:
Julian wrote:


I'm not sure why a mower needs a gel battery it's isn't a normal requirement for a mower to be capable of working upside down Very Happy

Julian.


No, but you can let it down a steep - but smooth - bank on a length of rope, and thus mow grass you couldn't even stand up on. Damned hard work with a petrol mower and I doubt much easier with a battery, but certainly possible and probably the thinking behind using gel batteries.


Ah yes, I was forgetting that. I've seen the council do that with Flymos!

Julian.


Were they swinging them across the bank like a pendulum? That really is a full-body workout Smile you'll never see a fat guy doing that job... Laughing


I think I remember it as one chap holding the rope, thus holding the mower in the correct east/west position while another guy walked on the slope pushing it north/south. I suspect health and safety wouldn't allow it today for one reason or another. Probably now you would have to erect scaffolding all over the bank with some sort of suspended miniature railway arrangement for moving the mower after having filled in about 10 forms and a risk assessment!

Julian.
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Rdover



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 413

PostPosted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 1:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger-hatchy wrote:
Never seen a Mobility scooter running upside down either Laughing


Don't they all do that in Australia? Confused
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Richard
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Rdover



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 413

PostPosted: Tue May 01, 2012 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's arrived and look the business BUT I'm so irritated with the customer service and attitude that I need to cool off, try fitting it and see if I can work some magic in time for this weekend.

Better than venting on here!
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Rdover



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 413

PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2012 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, I've cooled off a bit so here goes.

The conversion unit itself is beautifully made. Unlike the picture on the website it is basically an ally coke can on its side mounted on a flat plate (which does no justice to the quality of the manufacture) with a collar at the back into which a Bosch 009 dizzy (as found on any self respecting Beetle) is fitted. The coil mounts vertically on a plate at the rear.

The locking bolt for the dizzy is inconveniently on the engine side for me and needs a screwdriver (one of the thing I was annoyed about) but a hex bolt is en-route as is the rotor arm that was left out of the box. The whole collar can rotate without affecting the timing so I rotated it round to allow access for a funky right angled screwdriver I've got.

I went to a local VW place and bought a rotor arm for £5 and got busy. I hate cutting into things even though it was only the HT leads and I can easily make new ones so I was a little stressed. The unit fitted perfectly and was already roughly timed up. I got an old car battery and made up earth and positive leads and hooked them up. I have flashing HT caps so I could see a real solid fat spark so that was good.

It took some fannying around with the timing until i got a solid fire from a cylinder which nearly broke my wrist (the handle stopped dead!) and after 10 mins it ran - slowly and roughly but it ran. I played with the timing again until it revved cleanly (it is so nice!) and was fully warmed up, stopping every so often to practice starting up. Basically I have to be brave, turn the handle until it about to fire then keep my wrist straight and pull hard through that first puff ... and it fires every time.

I was told an hour to fit - bollocks! It took 3 hours to get a result and I still have lots of fettling to do BUT that is not too bad. The mag strap has been butchered to fit (I'll need another new one for the magneto) and I still have to figure out what size/type of battery I'll need but I can jury rig it for this weekend.

I am still not happy with the response "I'm sorry you're not happy" when I phone to complain about missing parts and promises not kept but you absolutely cannot complain about the quality of the workmanship.

Photos to follow
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Richard
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Rdover



Joined: 26 Nov 2007
Posts: 413

PostPosted: Thu May 10, 2012 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Photos as promised

As originally



Now


It had it's first run out on Sunday and the timing needs some playing with. The centrifugal advance afforded by the Bosch 009 dizzy is not enough for the low slow revving engine so I need to have it sufficiently advanced as standard to run well, yet not be impossible (read painful) to start.

I've changed the Dizzy holding screw for the bolt which should ease matters but the car runs far far better with the dizzy and coil.

Again, not a difficult conversion but more involved than first meets the eye but definitely worthwhile.
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