Fitting a magneto to Maney crank cases

Ken,

How many road racers used the JH magnetos hanging off the points cover when you were out there?

For some reason I thought Hunt came out with those initially for drag bikes. However, my memory is very creative at this stage in my life.
 
Its not particularly impossable , if you think about it .

Fitting a magneto to Maney crank cases


WIth the REVERSED SPROCKETS , you need to extend the cam chain tensioner mount . Likely just a machined alloy spacer ( Glued on - Aryldite / ) and longer studs .
Though if you were worried about longer cam overhang / load line , you could use the outer chain for the mag . And if you were really worried , you could have a bearing in the timing case
to support the overhang . Mag Shaft or Cam Shaft ! .

Nasty old magnetos are useually pretty good , you can even go through rivers for a bit before they drown , if nobodys messed with them .
You could ven configure a GEAR DRIVE in there for it . Wich might be BEST , better and as straight forward ! .
 
Schwany said:
Ken,

How many road racers used the JH magnetos hanging off the points cover when you were out there?

For some reason I thought Hunt came out with those initially for drag bikes. However, my memory is very creative at this stage in my life.
Click to expand...

I don't recall seeing anyone else racing with them back in the '70s and '80s, but that doesn't mean much with my memory.:rolleyes: I first raced the bike with the JH in 1984, and only raced with it for a year or so, and then switched briefly back to points, and then finally to the ARD mags mounted in the points cavity. By the late '80s I was running the early version of the ARD.

Ken
 
Do the JH mags have a wasted spark? or to put it another way, could one be used on a twin plug single?
 
Yes, both leads fire simultaneously.

As to whether or not that makes them suitable for a twin spark single, ie whether or not both sparks are full power, etc, I don’t know.
 
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Good to know, I cannot imagine a difference in power between the two leads so should be OK.
 
Now you all know why I have a love of Joe Hunt maggies, thanks Jim for the show.

Ashley
 
Looks like old Yellow copper core Accel plug wire. Copper core wire is sparky. Copper core plug wires are what I used on my Norton in the beginning when it had a magneto on it.

Spark advantage and one point to Gryffindor. Oops, I mean Joe Hunt.
 
lcrken said:
I don't recall seeing anyone else racing with them back in the '70s and '80s, but that doesn't mean much with my memory.:rolleyes: I first raced the bike with the JH in 1984, and only raced with it for a year or so, and then switched briefly back to points, and then finally to the ARD mags mounted in the points cavity. By the late '80s I was running the early version of the ARD.

Ken
Click to expand...
In the early days most JH maggies ran clock wise, one of the reasons I didn't run one earlier on my Norton, I brought my mate's ex race JH off his Triumph to run on my Norton but would have had to get it remaginized to run anti clock wise, but it ended up on my Triumph of the day, so not sure how long JH made the maggies for our Norton's to run anti clockwise but in the early days I couldn't find one to fit the Norton and now they sell both set up for behind the motor or timing case, the timing side JH kit comes with everything needed to set up with mounting bracket, hex shaft, well everything for an easy set up.

Ashley
 
Nigel,
iF its for track use , why not go with a version of Steve's ignition... Any chain driven ignition ,magneto included will surely run into timing problems from the action of the cam chain .
 
ashman said:
Never had one fall off yet even going down on the JH side 2 times not long after fitting to the Norton.
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Watching this thread for a while now.
Ash.
It looks like a Fu@kn wart. I know its your lovely bike but...
Take a good looking Commando and put that on the timing side outboard???.
My only thought is conjured up from the movie Austin Powers who discovers the mole.
A mole on the upper lip of a Commando that is.
Now I Can't get it out of my head.
Moley Moley Mole....
I have a P11 that will have a maggie on the side where Norton placed it.
No offence mind you.
 
CanukNortonNut said:
Watching this thread for a while now.
Ash.
It looks like a Fu@kn wart. I know its your lovely bike but...
Take a good looking Commando and put that on the timing side outboard???.
My only thought is conjured up from the movie Austin Powers who discovers the mole.
A mole on the upper lip of a Commando that is.
Now I Can't get it out of my head.
Moley Moley Mole....
I have a P11 that will have a maggie on the side where Norton placed it.
No offence mind you.
Click to expand...
It's all good we all have our opinions, myself know how well they are and to be honest I love showing it off the side of my Norton, you might think it's a mole and all but to me I don't care what anyone says about it to me it's a simple set up running straight off the cam, easy to time and best of all set to my timing marks 2 bolts to remove for any maintenance on the work bench, put back on in the same position and no need to reset the timing, so simple and the extra + it's running out in the cool fresh air.
No extra chain or advance unit as it fires up first kick without retarding it, it goes from slow revs to full revs without missing a beat and faster it spins the bigger the bang and spark plugs last so much longer because of that great big spark and they run so clean.
So really love it or hate it who care as I love it where it is and I don't take offence at all so to me it's a lovely wart and my Norton runs so well with it and that's the most important thing and first kick every time once started for the day it fires up on 1/2 a swing on the kicker while sitting on the seat without any real effort and will do that all day.
Just think of all the BS I would have to do to mount it behind the motor, the machining work, extra chain and sitting behind a very hot motor, no I keep my simple set up, ease of maintenance, after 35k miles with it I still running the same point's as well same spark plugs that haven't missed a beat.
So no offence at all as I am proud to show it off, than to hide it behind a very hot motor, sight unseen, leaking carbs that could cause a fire dripping on a spark souse.

Ashley
 
CanukNortonNut said:
Watching this thread for a while now.
Ash.
It looks like a Fu@kn wart. I know its your lovely bike but...
Take a good looking Commando and put that on the timing side outboard???.
My only thought is conjured up from the movie Austin Powers who discovers the mole.
A mole on the upper lip of a Commando that is.
Now I Can't get it out of my head.
Moley Moley Mole....
I have a P11 that will have a maggie on the side where Norton placed it.
No offence mind you.
Click to expand...
So, you call a man’s pride and joy a f*ckin wart, and then sign off “no offence”.

OK.
 
NorLuck said:
Sooo I was looking at my commando Joe hunt magneto and thinking that those two little bolts hold up a very heavy magneto on an engine that vibrates like crazy. Seems sus but guess nobody has had problems with bolts failing?
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The bolts have proven to be fine in use. And stronger ones may be less advantageous in a spill (the fact they shear easily on impact can prevent more serious damage).

The small threads in the soft alloy do look like a weak spot to me though. I’m having inserts fitted to mine so I can tighten ‘em up with confidence.
 
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oldmikew said:
Nigel,
iF its for track use , why not go with a version of Steve's ignition... Any chain driven ignition ,magneto included will surely run into timing problems from the action of the cam chain .
Click to expand...
Decision made to go with the mag.
No battery.
No track side battery charging issues.
No flat battery DNFs
No alternator.
Massive spark.
Only ONE wire on the entire bike (to the kill switch).

My own dyno experiments in the past have shown little to no impact with the ign being a few degrees either side of nominal. So, with a good quality and correctly adjusted timing chain, I’m not worried about cam mounted ign.

Unto each his own.
 
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