IF YOU REACHED THIS PAGE VIA A SEARCH ENGINE THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO OUR HOME PAGE
Building
Up an Ignitor Shaft
My son-in-law, a big engine man, has a Webster "MI" low tension magneto and ignitor that was acting up. The over-the-phone diagnosis was bad insulating mica washers and a worn ignitor shaft, and the quote for repair was $125. Wow! The new micas, Fahanstock Clip, contact and shaft insulator totaled less than $10, delivered. The bulk of the $125 was the manufacture and installation of the worn shaft.
I tested the bore that the shaft passes through with a 5/16-inch dowel and found it to be in VERY good shape. The shaft of the ignitor was worn badly though.
The worn shaft was cleaned with a file and tinned with silver-bearing solder.
The shaft was then wrapped with tinned copper wire.
The entire assembly was heated with a propane torch and covered with flux and more solder.
Webster had thoughtfully supplied center holes in the shaft and cast contact holder. Although the "center" hole in the casting was not centered, it was usable. The ignitor shaft is shown being turned between centers to a final diameter of 0.312-inches.
Most of the wire and solder was turned off, leaving a shaft with a copper/lead surface.
Above is the shaft being installed into the ignitor casting, good as new, I hope.
Total time, about 45 min.