magneto to electronic ignition

why can't we convert a magneto to electronic ignition. if it could be done without the high price tag. i've been reading about the four cylinder tractors using the pertronix unit an running fine. there using a delco distributor but i think the unit for the 2 cylinder engine would work for the magneto. a little machine work should be all it would take. i tried a distributor on the 4a084 and couldn't get to firing right. but on the mag you only need 2 sparks per revolution and a coil wire ran inside like i have mine already. no need to worry about points getting burned or corroded. the pertronix uses a hall effect pickup and a plastic insert that goes over the distributor lobe. it has 2 magnets embedded in the plastic to trigger spark. you don't need a pcb board module or anything to boost the signal to ignition coil.its like an hei system. i'm going to purchase a unit soon. i have found the kit for less than 100 dollars and you can use any ignition coil. anyone tell me why it won't work?

I've used the pertronix units before and they've worked fine...I don't see any reason you couldn't retrofit one...That will be an interesting project I'll be looking forward to see your progress...

dang, been reading the reviews on this, for the most part it has been all positive,
but this one they are still using it on his boat, but he talked about some of the problems that he found out. depending on which version you end up with.
http://www.mastercraft.com/teamtalk/...p/t-60436.html
all in all, it looks almost to simple. the install instructions for the Igniter 11, that i pulled up, are pretty straight forward.
some have complained that the magnets have been became loose in the plastic insert, (but then did they install it correctly?)
don't what modification you will need to to, for the plastic insert to fit on the 084 lobe?
but many of the reviews were very positive, as to the improvement that they noticed.
I'm tempted..... but at the moment,
I'm waiting for a speeduino board, coils, injectors, among other small items. that are in the mail. it is going to take a little, but i am curious, how long it will take me to get this all together. between all the other entertainment I have going on. I guess it gives me something to do, during these dark and rainy winter months. who would have thought we have only 4 inches of snow. if the weather was 5 degrees colder, it would be over 30 feet by now.
go figure. it is a lot simpler to plow water, than snow.

-8* here this morning...
River is getting very hard .
No snow on the ground today.

It will be interesting to see how well the pertronix will take the environment around it in this application..Much more vibration and humidity than what would be in an automobile...I know of one failure myself and we never did figure out what caused it...I'm thinking it was initially wired incorrectly by the owner...It seems the unit won't take any deviation in the scope of wiring and it's intended use...

they say don't leave the ignition on any extended time without the engine running or the unit will burn out. i expect to kill a couple just getting the firing dialed in. thinking i may have to go with 4 cylinder unit instead of 2 cylinder. because of cutting an adapter will be easier. some advertise what direction the distributor rotation is and others don't mention it. i guess it depends more on how the unit is mounted than the rotation direction. i plan on ordering one in a couple of weeks and see what i can come up with. removing 2 magnets should make it work for 2 sparks per revolution.

got the pertronix in and got it all setup and guess what no spark. tested the coil and it was bad. so i got the only coil i had left off airboat and it would fire very eratic. checked the coil with a condenser and points and it fired great. so i sent the pertronix unit back for refund. i got to thinking i've got 3 dead outboards that use a tigger that is magnetic. so i stripped one off and mounted inside the magneto. only 1 place to mount it with clearance. i needed something to pass by pickup to activate it 2 times per revolution so i removed the tab on the mag shaft that opens the points with a flat piece of flat metal to use for the reluctor. there was no adjusting the pick so the reluctor had to be cut the right length to just clear pickup. i wired it up to an hei module and installed mag in normal way. i had to adjust timing almost all the way toward the left to stop kick back. it ran as good as before and no points to deal with. i.ll post the picture later.


https://youtu.be/9ROEvyhNhpM

pictures of magneto.

more pic

you sure do make it looks to simple, hope that this will take care of many of the problems, that you have been dealing with.
I have came up with a design for the bracket to hold my crank trigger sensor, it seems like every time I turn around, I am needing to order some little part or plug;stir;.
these are simple concepts, I am just glad that you have the spare parts on hand to solve many of the challenges that come up.;thumb;

Sorry to hear the pertronix didn't perform as expected...Nice plan B with the module....Keep in mind the HEI module used the distributor housing as the heat sink so keep an eye on how hot it's getting during operation...You may need to add a heat sink to it...

i mounted it to a piece of 3/8 thick aluminum. it's all in the plastic box. got to get some more heat transfer paste to add under the module. ran it on the river today and worked good. next i'm going to mount a pickup down by the vent tube on timing cover and set a couple of reluctor fins on the front pulley to pass by the pickup and activate the coil.all the mag will be doing is transfering the spark to the plugs.

Got it finished and had to loosen pulley to retard spark to stop it from kicking back. Need to put a timing light on it to set the timing. All in all it works good. Now if something makes it quit i just plug the sensor inside magneto back up to module. I'll bring along a spare module and ignition coil and know unless it throws a rod i can get back in i think.


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Good thinking there...It gives a little more confidence knowing you have a back-up to get home... After all you've been through with the ignition I realize why you need this.. Now you can enjoy the ride...;thumb;