40+ won't start

[ingram19582002]

Hi guys, didn't know how to test the coil so I took the flywheel from my featherweight and swopped it with the 40+ and hey presto the 40 is now starting and the wee one isn't. I've tried re-magnetising the magnets with a drill and also using a very strong magnet overnight and no joy with these methods. Anyone any ideas as to what the problem could be ? thanks in anticipation, George.

[headdownarseup]

I wouldn't bother doing anything at all with the flywheel except removing any surface rust from the magnet face. The magnets are spot on. (try touching a small screwdriver to it. If its drawn to the magnet it's still magnetized)

The problem is in the baseplate itself.
Either the points might need a really good cleaning and resetting the gap, the coil itself might be "open circuit" (dead) or the condenser might need replacing (under the points box, but you will need to remove the points box completely to do this)

Quickest and easiest way out is to look for another known working baseplate. There's often a couple on ebay.

Try the points first. Clean up with some emery paper and reset the gap (0.20thou or metric 0.50mm) Same gap for the plug.
I sometimes find that by cleaning the coil cheeks helps a bit (the triangle bits at each end of the coil)

Jon

[ingram19582002]

Thanks Jon, but one query. If the one flywheel starts both engines and the other flywheel starts none of the engines then is it not a problem with the flywheel that wont start them.?

[headdownarseup]

Not always!

From experience the magnetism in these flywheels is excellent. 9 times out of 10 it's normally a duff coil or dirty/incorrectly set points that gives the most trouble.
Villiers flywheels are mostly interchangeable with other villiers baseplates. There are a couple of exceptions of course with the wartime engines and older, but generally post ww2 villiers flywheels and mags will swap over from one to another.

Why 1 particular flywheel would start 2 motors (as is your situation) i have no idea, but it has to be something fairly minor i would think.
Perhaps the cam is more worn in 1 flywheel and not the other. This might point towards why you have no spark in 1 motor?

It's difficult to pin point with any degree of accuracy unless i was there with you in your shed or garage trying to trouble shoot.

Go over the basics again with how each motor was before the flywheel swap!

Jon

[tambikerboy]

Hi George im in dundee all next week and more if you need another flywheel cheers

[Charles uk]

Apart from providing inertia the flywheel fills 2 more functions, holding the magnets that provide the energy to generate the spark & the central boss carries the cam that causes the points to open & close, if the flywheel is exchanged with a replacement there is a possibility that the cam & the follower have worn to a greater or lesser amount, the same applies to the points that might well have had the wet & dry treatment on numerous occasions, meaning the might not open at all, if the points gap is not reset every time the flywheel is changed this problem could well rear it's ugly head!

Basic 2-stroke maintenance gentlemen!

[headdownarseup]

Hence my query over the cam.

Double check all of the above first before you dismiss anything as being duff. The answer might be there in front of you. You've just not seen it yet.
Check the simple things first (points opening/closing and the gap)
Let Tam check over the coil for you with his multimeter. You never know but the coil might actually be "dead" after all. It does happen from time to time.

Jon

[ingram19582002]

Thanks guys. Tam is in Dundee soon so I will meet up with him and maybe pick his brain, I will keep you up to date on developments, thanks again everyone , the help on this forum is fantastic, much appreciated guys

[headdownarseup]

No problem.
I just hope you can get to the bottom of things.

Jon

[ingram19582002]

Ok I got two flywheels from Tambikerboy today but I was only home for 15

minutes, so I changed the flywheel quickly on the 40+ in the shed, never gapped

the points as I had to rush to my brother's house to do a small wall in his

garden. Two pulls of the rope and bingo its running fine, I couldn't run it too

long as the fumes were heavy. I will put it in a tank of water later this week

and perhaps make a small movie. I still don't know what the problem was but

changing the flywheel hopefully, has cured it. thanks again everyone, love this

site, George

[ingram19582002]

I forgot to say Thanks Tam you are a gentleman...

[Charles uk]

This raises some fascinating questions, Tam is going to try & get his hands on this flywheel to see if we can work out just what is causing this problem.

[headdownarseup]

Interesting!

[tambikerboy]

Well/well picked up the offending flywheel tonight as you can see in pics very little magnetism only managed to stick one panel pin to it reading back on this topic it clearly states that this worked last year me personally i don't think it is an outboard flywheel BUT I WILL LEAVE THAT TO THE MASTERS TO DECIDE numbers are as follows
R82 A80 3 59 and a few circled numbers M5 sorry for poor quality pics taken inside a 450bhp scania cos it's raining outside. ....cheers could it be from the dark side..

[Charles uk]

Any sign of a cam in the usual place Tam?