I assume your Atlas mag is behind the barrels?
JH also sell Norton mags to mount on the timing cover… which spins in the opposite direction.
I’d be wondering if yours perhaps had the wrong internals, cam etc, designed for the opposite rotation?
There was a guy on here some while ago who had a new JH mag that had inadvertently been fitted with a cam for a Harley… so mistakes do happen…
I ran a JH mag for a while, it was on a track bike so I only ever started it on rollers, but it always started INSTANTLY, so something ain’t right with yours…
Took the cover off the mag this morning and came to the conclusion that it had to be grounded out somewhere. I pulled the coil in order to access and remove the small screw holding the ground wire on the inside and the kill switch wire on the outside. Prior to removing the screw there was continuity between the screw and the mag housing. Once I removed the screw I was able to see that the hole in the housing was sleeved with plastic but the sleeve was just short of the entire length of the hole. Either end of the hole had plastic washers however the one on the outside clearly incorporated a shoulder just deep enough to insulate the hole for the remainder of what the sleeve missed. Why would JH not have sleeved it properly? Kinda important! That said, I put the shoulderd plastic washer on the inside and then buttoned up the whole affair the end result being that the screw no longer has continuity with the housing which I’m thinking is going to solve this problem. Fast forward I now have spark. Good point on making room for the points spring. Jim Schmit had warned me so some time ago I got out my Dremel! I notice today when putting everything back together that at least half the points spring is rubber coatedThis may or may not help
I've noticed that for Joe Hunt mags behind the cylinders - there's barely enough room for the points spring under the cap. In some cases the cap can push the spring against the points plate and cause it to ground (no sparkie). The solution is to grind some plastic off the cap with a dremel and add an extra gasket. See photos.
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grind away some plastic from inside the cap as shown below
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This is not such a problem with Commando left side cam end mount magnetos.
- jseng1
- Replies: 0
- Forum: Norton Commando Forum
Yea its pretty tight in there for everything to fit!Fun things
I pinched a wire coming out of the alternator stator between the primary inner and outer covers that I wish would have prevented me from starting my Norton. When I started it the insulation on the pinched wire went up in smoke and stunk my garage up. Also killed my PODtronics reg/rect I was using at the time.
Anywho, you could have a pinched wire or a wire under the magneto cover that has frayed insulation grounding out in a location where you can't easily see it.
From way out in left field... Does the SS have an ignition switch? Don't need one for a magneto, but it could be wired funny in the On position.
Yeah some shrink wrap rubber on the spring just like what is shown in Jim's image I posted in #64Took the cover off the mag this morning and came to the conclusion that it had to be grounded out somewhere. I pulled the coil in order to access and remove the small screw holding the ground wire on the inside and the kill switch wire on the outside. Prior to removing the screw there was continuity between the screw and the mag housing. Once I removed the screw I was able to see that the hole in the housing was sleeved with plastic but the sleeve was just short of the entire length of the hole. Either end of the hole had plastic washers however the one on the outside clearly incorporated a shoulder just deep enough to insulate the hole for the remainder of what the sleeve missed. Why would JH not have sleeved it properly? Kinda important! That said, I put the shoulderd plastic washer on the inside and then buttoned up the whole affair the end result being that the screw no longer has continuity with the housing which I’m thinking is going to solve this problem. Fast forward I now have spark. Good point on making room for the points spring. Jim Schmit had warned me so some time ago I got out my Dremel! I notice today when putting everything back together that at least half the points spring is rubber coated
No Unfortunately. I'm know back in the gearbox looking for the source of a strange noise when kickstarting. Turns out it was the back of the clutch basket hitting the inner primary. Regardless I've been telling myself that it is good to double check that the gears are all installed correctly and am checking the bushing clearances. Can't seem to find what the bushing clearances should be on the main and layshaft though.Have you had good enough weather to ride the SS since getting the magneto working?
No Unfortunately. I'm know back in the gearbox looking for the source of a strange noise when kickstarting. Turns out it was the back of the clutch basket hitting the inner primary. Regardless I've been telling myself that it is good to double check that the gears are all installed correctly and am checking the bushing clearances. Can't seem to find what the bushing clearances should be on the main and layshaft though.