Author Topic: Mac 1-50 spark issues  (Read 780 times)

0 Members and 31 Guests are viewing this topic.

Offline super44

  • 6 cube
  • ****
  • Posts: 219
  • Karma: 8
  • I have a really big Johnson.
  • Location: NW Wis

  • Total Badges: 26
    Badges: (View All)
    Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Level 5
Mac 1-50 spark issues
« on: January 15, 2012, 02:16:24 pm »
I have a Mac 1-50 that is a pretty nice but will only spark some times.  I've not heard the saw run and do not know it's history.  I started by checking and setting the points which were close enough, it should have run.  Next I set the coil gap and still it will seldom produce a spark.  What would be the correct way to check a coil on something like this??

Thanks

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter


Offline Al Smith

  • Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2779
  • Karma: 181

  • Total Badges: 34
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 6 Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary
Re: Mac 1-50 spark issues
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2012, 03:52:41 pm »
It's a continuity  test between the low voltage side and ground and the high voltage side and ground but most likely not your problem .

In most cases problems with a points type ignition can be traced to resistance in either the low voltage side connectons and more often to slight corrosion on the points .Might  look nice and shiny but remember you're dealing with a very small voltage on the primary side of that thing .

Often times too if the points have been burnished a very tiny piece of the grit from the sand cloth will prevent them from closing completely although they may seem to be .After you clean the points use a piece of printer paper to run through them a few times when they're closed to make certain nothing is caught in them .

Usually if you get any spark at all it's not the condenser or coil at fault .

It might not be a bad idea to clean every area the ignition parts making  contact with the saw engine because that thing is old as the hills and you have steel parts making contact with 50 year old aluminum  which is certain to have some oxidation on it .Aluminum is a conductor but strangely  enough aluminum oxide is an insulator and under a microscope resembles glass .

Offline Roanoker494

  • 4 cube
  • **
  • Posts: 57
  • Karma: 1

  • Total Badges: 16
    Badges: (View All)
    Linux User Mobile User Third year Anniversary Second year Anniversary Karma Level 3
Re: Mac 1-50 spark issues
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2012, 03:05:38 pm »
Check the kill switch system, could be something vibrating around and grounding out. like mentioned above check all the wires for damage and clean your contacts.

Offline Al Smith

  • Moderator
  • Nitro Hotsaw
  • *******
  • Posts: 2779
  • Karma: 181

  • Total Badges: 34
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Nineth year Anniversary Eighth year Anniversary Level 6 Seventh year Anniversary Sixth year Anniversary
Re: Mac 1-50 spark issues
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2012, 10:45:11 am »
Generally speaking the points type ignition systems McCulloch used on the reed valve and 10 series saws are one of the most reliable systems ever made .

The earlier saws used the large coil where as the later series like to SP 105/125 used the smaller  10 series coils .

Much later of course they went to solid state being the PM 610 type which was used on saws such as the 805-850 , PM  610/650 and a host of others .These were pretty robust too as a general rule .

In all the 10 series saws I've worked ,which is many  only one appeared to have a bad coil .Oddly enough some time after I had replaced the offending coil which I saved I tried it on a mix match of saws to make another runner from parts and it worked .What was initially wrong with it to this day I have no idea . Magic maybe . ;)

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
45 Replies
2160 Views
Last post October 13, 2015, 12:11:51 pm
by Cut4fun .
2 Replies
640 Views
Last post May 08, 2013, 09:00:32 am
by Magnus
3 Replies
605 Views
Last post October 18, 2013, 01:14:29 pm
by Cut4fun .
6 Replies
883 Views
Last post November 08, 2013, 07:32:29 am
by DCC
9 Replies
785 Views
Last post March 15, 2014, 12:39:03 pm
by sharkey
288XP no spark

Started by JC360 « 1 2 ... 8 9 » Husqvarna

82 Replies
3335 Views
Last post April 10, 2014, 09:24:23 am
by KilliansRedLeo
21 Replies
846 Views
Last post December 13, 2015, 06:18:30 am
by The Ripper
9 Replies
1110 Views
Last post December 19, 2015, 05:19:24 pm
by brads
3 Replies
462 Views
Last post February 26, 2016, 05:57:34 am
by pete
9 Replies
1351 Views
Last post June 18, 2017, 08:25:10 pm
by Al Smith