Has anyone retrofitted a coil to a SSI engine?

[Iplayfarmer]

I have an old Craftsman 14/6 that I picked up at a yard sale. It is in excellent condition with one exception... The magneto is bad. This is a problem because these magnetos are no longer made and hard to find. When you do find one it's usually about $200 used. So I have two options. I can either scrap this tractor that is in otherwise excellent condition, or I can try to somehow retrofit an ignition system to it. I found this site that has some information on how to fit an old style coil with an additional control module. This seems complicated, but not impossible.

Has anyone tried this retrofit? Is it likely to work?

 

[NormL]

I have an old Craftsman 14/6 that I picked up at a yard sale. It is in excellent condition with one exception... The magneto is bad. This is a problem because these magnetos are no longer made and hard to find. When you do find one it's usually about $200 used. So I have two options. I can either scrap this tractor that is in otherwise excellent condition, or I can try to somehow retrofit an ignition system to it. I found this site that has some information on how to fit an old style coil with an additional control module. This seems complicated, but not impossible.

Has anyone tried this retrofit? Is it likely to work?

I am facing much the same issues with the Magnetron ignition system on my Craftsman GT 18. I don't know how this compares to the Craftsman 14/6 you have. What I want to look into doing is to somehow fit an electronic ignition from an old Dodge van parts vehicle I have and run the GT 18 with that. Is this similar to what you have in mind? BTW, this is the tractor I'm using for my backhoe build so the need for a reliable ignition system is very real. As you can imagine, I'll be paying close attention to the replies and advice you will garner here. Good luck!:thumbsup:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

NormL, What's your engine? If it's a Tecumseh, you can probably use the same system I end up using (whatever that ends up being).

 

[NormL]

NormL, What's your engine? If it's a Tecumseh, you can probably use the same system I end up using (whatever that ends up being).

No, mine's a Briggs and Stratton 18 horse twin. My other garden tractor, also a Craftsman (which in actuality is a renamed Roper), has a 16 horse Tecumseh in it. And what you're saying is that the magneto in yours is "smoked"! I've not had a problem with my Tecumseh powered tractor's ignition - could use a new starter though. What I do see on that one is what looks to me like an electronic module mounted on the cowling of the engine. That has me wondering if it is equipped with electronic ignition. It is supposed to be a 1974 model. Is this what is referred to as an SSI engine? Just admitting that when I got to the "learning curve", I missed it and hit the ditch!:laughing:

 

[oldnslo]

Not sure about Tecumseh but on most of the B & S models the Magnetron (SSI) was direct replacement for the older points and condenser units. Tecumseh being out of business could possibly make finding parts more difficult.

good luck

Roy

 

[Iplayfarmer]

The Briggs & Stratton should be easy to find a replacement for. All of them used the Horseshoe looking ignition module. Just be sure to get your spacing right... 0.012" (about the thickness of a business card).

As for the module mounted on the cowling of the Tecumseh, I don't think that's a Solid State Ignition (SSI). Mine is a single unit mounted just above the flywheel underneath the cowling. It only has the spark plug wire and the ground wire. Nothing else comes off or goes in. The retrofit is going to have all kinds of wires coming and going: 12V power to the control module and to the coil, pickup coil to the control module, signal wire from the control module to the coil, plug wire, etc.

 

[NormL]

Not sure about Tecumseh but on most of the B & S models the Magnetron (SSI) was direct replacement for the older points and condenser units. Tecumseh being out of business could possibly make finding parts more difficult.

good luck

Roy

Hmmm... Was not aware of this. I guess it explains Iplayfarmer's dilemma. My plan with the electronic ignition out of my parts van is to pour over the schematic for the system and see how the components are hooked together. Then I hope to mount the pickup from the distributor where a passing screw or similar idea attached to the screen-like cover of the flywheel will produce the electronic pulses required to make it all work. This is an oversimplified outline of what I plan to try. Anyone is encouraged to shoot holes in it if the idea is flawed. :thumbdown: That would save me a big bunch of time and effort if it's already been tried and shown to be a no-go.

 

[NormL]

The Briggs & Stratton should be easy to find a replacement for. All of them used the Horseshoe looking ignition module. Just be sure to get your spacing right... 0.012" (about the thickness of a business card).

As for the module mounted on the cowling of the Tecumseh, I don't think that's a Solid State Ignition (SSI). Mine is a single unit mounted just above the flywheel underneath the cowling. It only has the spark plug wire and the ground wire. Nothing else comes off or goes in. The retrofit is going to have all kinds of wires coming and going: 12V power to the control module and to the coil, pickup coil to the control module, signal wire from the control module to the coil, plug wire, etc.

Easy enough to find alright -not so easy to afford. In our inflation - addled economy here in canuck country it runs at or over the $200 bucks you mentioned yours would be for used. This price is for new but still too high. I've already replaced it once and though I used a cheaper jobber unit, I have little faith in the dealer supplied being appreciably better or longer lasting. The one that's failing now is only a couple years of use old. I'm guessing less than 100 hours. For $200 I expect better than that!

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Hmmm... Was not aware of this. I guess it explains Iplayfarmer's dilemma. My plan with the electronic ignition out of my parts van is to pour over the schematic for the system and see how the components are hooked together. Then I hope to mount the pickup from the distributor where a passing screw or similar idea attached to the screen-like cover of the flywheel will produce the electronic pulses required to make it all work. This is an oversimplified outline of what I plan to try. Anyone is encouraged to shoot holes in it if the idea is flawed. :thumbdown: That would save me a big bunch of time and effort if it's already been tried and shown to be a no-go.

There has to be some kind of trigger device already on your engine. The old system was getting the signal to spark somehow. Tap into that. On a Briggs it's probably a magnet on the fly wheel. If you mount a coil of some kind to pick up the signal from the flywheel magnet you'll have it made.

 

[NormL]

There has to be some kind of trigger device already on your engine. The old system was getting the signal to spark somehow. Tap into that. On a Briggs it's probably a magnet on the fly wheel. If you mount a coil of some kind to pick up the signal from the flywheel magnet you'll have it made.

Yes there are magnets imbedded in the flywheel. You are saying those would do the trick if I mounted the pickup from the distributor of the Dodge to trigger the pulse, correct? Would that work better than the screws on the flywheel screen cover I intended to try? In the distributor the pulse is initiated by the sprocket - like "star wheel". Or is the system you suggest even simpler than that? Once I get past understanding the concept of the wheel and pickup replacing the points of the old system, I get lost in the rest of the maze.