David T. Irvine of Nashville, Tennessee fitted one our
magnetos in February 2004. He used the bike a little and then laid it up
for a while. When he came to use it again it wouldn't start. He
thought the problem might be lack of sparks. Here are some snips from his
emails:
Hi Tony,
This is with reference to the BT-H replacement magneto I bought from
you last year.
I installed the magdyno approx 15 February 2004.
The BSA fired right up on second kick after sitting idle
for more than 10 years.
No kickback on the crank, good power and performance, no pinking;
timing seems to be right. I've since ridden the BSA a few times with
it
starting right up each time. Last time I started it was back
last Spring of this year. Total mileage since
installation has been
less than 100 miles. This afternoon (Sunday, 30
October 2005) the BSA would
not start or even try to start. I removed the spark plug and snapped
on
the HT lead, and held the plug against the chaincase while I kicked over
the engine; no spark. ...........................................
Sincerely,
David Irvine
Tony wrote back with a few suggestions
and directed David to have a look at the FAQ's page on the BT-H website.
David Replied:
Hi Tony,
Thanks for your speedy reply. My face is quite red with
embarrassment.
Right after I sent you the email, I checked your website hoping
there might be some clues. Sure enough, the last
item in your FAQ list
described the proper way to check for spark. By this time the BSA
was indoors for the night, and out of the earlier
bright sunlight. And sure
enough I saw and heard the spark at the plug and jumping to the
chaincase, just as the FAQ described. So the magneto is fine after
all.
Still don't understand why I didn't get a jolt holding the plug, maybe
I have to have a hand on the frame to complete the
circuit. Anyhow,
recalling that the BSA had sat idle all summer, I
removed the Amal
Concentric carb, dismantled it, and found the bowl and fine screen
around the main jet coated with varnish; I'd failed to drain the bowl
after the last run. Carb parts are now
soaking in carb cleaner; I've
been through this before and knew better. I
may try adding gasoline
stabilizer in the future to hopefully ward off
this problem. Thanks for
your interest, I'll keep you posted as to results.
David
And then a little later
another reply:
Hi Tony,
A word to let you know the BSA is starting and running fine again. Its
problem had nothing to do with your magneto but was entirely due to me
letting it sit idle all summer long, letting the gas in the carb bowl
turn to varnish (think there is a lesson here!). Again, my apologies
for my magneto misdiagnosis. .............................
..............
It's good to know you still retain an interest in your products long after the sale was completed.
Best wishes,
David
<Back
BT-H
Magnetos Ltd.
