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Thread: anybody else having slick mag problems?

  1. #1
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    anybody else having slick mag problems?

    i've went through 3 new mags in the last 2 month with a maimum of 4 hours of running time. i bought 2 a couple of months ago and 1 was bad when i got it. the other lasted maybe a total of 1.5 hours. it left us almost and had to keep cranking it over and over to get back to the ramp. i ordered a new mag and it lasted a couple of short trips and when i put the heat pad under the intake and it shorted out the miss started again. took it apart and found nothing.tested condenser with analog meter and showed good.checked the points and they were like new. so we went out again last night for some more frog gigging and it started the random miss and would buck and jerk when you opened the gas. so we headed back to the boat ramp and made it within a hundred feet of ramp and died and wouldn't start. i had ordered another new mag a week ago and just got it in. it came with the plug wires so i bought a new set of factory plugs and put the new mag on and plugs in and it ran perfect. i had taken the plugs out last night to make sure they haden't fouled out. they looked perfect and all the aluminum particles was gone even on no 4 where it was covered with aluminum particles from running lean before. i don't mind buying something i need but this is just throwing money away. i read on an aircraft forum that the slick mag was known for an early death and a lot were caused by a faulty condenser (capacitor) going bad but i've seen prices of 30 dollars to over a hundred dollars just for the condenser. they say they will check good today and be bad tomorrow with no warning. it would seem that more 084 owners would have said something about these mags . only one i know of was papee having a bad mag but it was the other brand. not a slick mag. i'm going to try to find an alternative condenser for the slick mag and see if that is the problem with the box full of mags i have. there saying after a long time sitting the condenser will absorbe moisture and cause them to short out in a short peroid. sounds like a good explanation for what has happened to me.
    Last edited by bgmcl60; 09-29-2017 at 12:13 PM.

  2. #2
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    Yes, I had A Fairbanks that went bad. never checked it out to see what happened to it. The only thing I can think of is if you are using the kill tap for your tach is maybe you are getting a voltage backfeed. If so I'd try unhooking your tach or even isolate the kill tab from all wiring.
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    Super Moderator Corky's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    Is there anything you can see in the slick mag that could go bad other than the condenser ???Doe's it test bad now after complete failure ??? You can see the points and know if they're good or not ...Was this happening before you switched to the automotive wires and plugs ??? I'm wondering if somehow you've got more resistance in either the automotive wires or plugs causing the early failures on the mags...Papee has a good point also with the tach possibly backfeeding or drawing current away from the mag...My tach reading is not rock steady and will give an occasional bounce of the needle.. I'm not sure if it's the tach,the mag, or something else between the two that's not completely compatible...The mechanical tach sure would solve some unknown variables for the 084 engine...

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  4. #4
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    my tach feeds off the internal charging system and not the mag. nothing hooked to the mag except the kill switch. i'm going to find a good condenser and test this mag. it won't run right even after sitting over night and plugs look perfect. if the condensers are not going bad then i will switch to a fairbanks mag and try that. the mag i put on today came with factory plug wires and runs perfect. even the wide band gauge started to working like it's supposed to and not skip back to testing 02 sensor (a1) to power on (a0) then to 888 not connected. i have never ran the factory plugs and plug wires. always used automotive parts. this time it;s all factory electrical system.
    Last edited by bgmcl60; 09-30-2017 at 12:34 AM.

  5. #5
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    Where are you getting your tach signal?
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    from the charging coil.

  7. #7
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    That could be it. You should be getting your tach signal from the kill tab.
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    i could never get my tach to read correctly from mag kill tab. even so i think it's a problem with the old condensers. 27 years is a long time for something to set even if was nos stock.

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Corky's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    Was your tach simply inaccurate or did it bounce a little like mine does ??? It is a smooth sweep for the most part with mine but it has an occasional bounce in the needle enough to make you wonder what's interrupting the signal...Keep us posted if you find a suitable replacement for the condenser...To be honest I haven't really read on here where someone has consistently had mag problems like this...I hate to see no option other than replacement of a "brand new" mag if it's simply the condenser...

    Aluminum .120 14' X 76" hull
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  10. #10
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    it wouldn't go over 3000 rpm on most settings and would not read at all on others. i'm going to rig up an auto style condenser to test the known bad mag first to see what happens. i will post results.

  11. #11
    Administrator Papee's Avatar
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    Since you know your boat by now I'd unhook the tach after you get it running. Use it for a while with the tach disconnected and if it don't burn another one hook your tach back up and see what happens. I think you are somehow backfeeding.
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  12. #12
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    Re: anybody else having slick mag problems?

    I do know that after i put the new mag on with factory wires it fixed the wide band gauge. The rf signal from the auto plug wires was killing the wide band signal to the point it was unusable. Maybe the extra resistance from wires was killing the mags. I also just put a new tach on with the new mag.

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