more mag troubles

Me and my son casey went out fishing a few weeks ago and i had to tow him back after only an hour of fishing. His mag wouldn't fire so i towed him in. He had another mag on board and it wouldn't fire either. Thats why i gave him a tow. Just a half mile or so. We got home and removed his mag and found nothing wrong. So we cleaned the points and it started to fire a little weak but it would fire. So we put it back on and he would start it and let it run a few minutes each day and it ran fine. Well we went out again and he got about 1/4 mile from ramp and it died. Towed him back in again and ordered points and condenser for 2 of the fairbanks moris mags. The points fit but the condenser was what looks like an automotive condenser. We left the factory condenser in place and installed the new points and they fired like there supposed to. We went back a number of times fishing and all was well. We went out yesterday and same thing again. Mag wouldn't fire. When we got home i took my slick mag off my engine and gave to casey since i hadn't had any problems all year frogging sometime 2 or 3 hours a night at least once a week for a couple of months. I took one of his fairbanks mag and opened it up and removed the ignition coil and disconnected the condenser. I drilled a hole in the mag housing the size of an auto plug wire and ran an auto plug wire to where the factory coil connected to distributor cap. Ran an 18 ga wire to ignition points through mag housing to auto ignition coil mounted on front of engine. Also mounted a ballast resistor in series from hot b + side if ign coil to ign switch. Wire from points to neg side of ign coil. also found a place next to points to mount an auto condenser.Plugged my coil wire from mag in and she fired up in less than a full revolution and been running like an 084 is supposed to for over two weeks and four fishing trips.

Wow both of you sure had some trouble with these mags over the last few builds..What do you think is actually going on there ?? It seems odd the components are roasting for you..

all i can say we both have the worst luck on anything we do. not just airboats but we went through 3 yamaha outboards in less than a year for different reasons. all quit running. it sure will feel good to break this string of bad luck. i always said if it happens it will happen to me or casey. but with all the bad luck we have i have enjoyed life more the last 2 years then ever. fishing and frog gigging is my life now and what a life. been in good health for 76 years this month and love every day of it. but i do beleive the condenser was most of my problem but to get the right one is almost as much as a magneto.

Congratulations on your 76 year run of good health !! That particular run of good luck is probably the most important thing in a person's life..All the rest can be dealt with... And happy birthday too...:wink:...

That's the same problem I had with my original mag. It worked fine when cold but once it got warm it would shut down. It was a fairbanks, I have a slick mag now on for 10 years.