Magneto Disassembly - help!

[hennesse]

Anyone familiar with disassembling Fairbanks Morse magnetos?

I'm disassembling the FMZ2-2C63A for H-D 29501-62 magneto that came on my 54 KH. It is full of rust and is difficult to turn. I intend to go back to the circuit breaker, but for now...

There's a "29622-55 Magneto rotor end shaft snap ring" that looks like it is the final thing preventing me from removing the rotor. I've removed the drive housing, and the 29624-55 outer washer, and there's a 29630-55 end seal in there. I believe I need to remove the seal, then the inner washer, and my snap ring will appear. Am I right so far?

Is the seal a press fit? If so, I'll need to find a replacement. Or is it a slide-in that doesn't want to slide because it has been in one place for 50 years?

Any help appreciated - this is my first venture deep into magneto innards.

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I've started a Magnetos page over in the Technical section. Not a lot there yet, but a couple of interesting documents, and perhaps a good source of supply for Fairbanks-Morse magneto parts. And as I learn more about these confounded things, I'll share what I learn.

Dave

[dr dick]

that seal is a glorified rubber washer.
there is no press fit as we understand the term.
you remove the seal as you would a cork that is stuck in a rockerbox or a tappet guide.
use a pointy needle, stab it in its midsection an pull it out. you can reuse it if its still functionable.

you are correct under the seal is another shield washer and a hair pin type retaining clip.

[hennesse]

Thanks Dr.

I ran the mag through the parts washer overnight, then let it soak in penetrating oil overnight. The seal came out easily using a jeweler's screwdriver between the outside and the housing - no stabbing required! AEI sells replacements for $3 (or better ones for $8), so it really doesn't matter. Pressing the rotor out of the bottom bearing was a little scary - the bearing is in an aluminum housing. But it popped out with minimum pressure. I stuck a brass hammer in-between the press ram and the shaft end, so the ram wouldn't mung up the shaft end. Worked like a charm.

The inside of the mag looks like water and dried grease had sat there for 20 years, which is exactly what had happened.

Look at all that dried-up glop!

DMH_003998.jpg (200.55 KiB) Viewed 8651 times

Notice the odd corrosion on the rotor at the right of the photo. I dressed it with a file, and it now looks a little happier.

Glop here too...

DMH_004001.jpg (66.38 KiB) Viewed 8651 times

The top bearing is fine, but the bottom one was really bad. After removing it from the housing, I ran it through the parts washer, and it is almost OK. It's like all this crap was just gumming up the works, and cleaning almost fixed it. Perhaps a little more cleaning. But I'll probably replace it. I like AEI's business practices - they said they sell the bearing, but that I could probably pick one up at a local bearing supply house for half the price.

Well, now that I've "practiced" dis-assembling the mag from the 54 KH (non-stock), I'm going to disassemble the mag from the 62 XLCH and send it to AEI to be re-magnetized. They swear that re-magnetizing the rotor will make all the difference in the world, and for $5 each, I'm willing to take that gamble. Given my starting problems with the CH, if it helps a little, it will help a lot! These 62-year old legs don't kick quite as hard as 21-year old legs do, so I need all the help I can get. Between this, and the AEI points (made in USA, not crappy Chinese garbage), I'm hoping that it will make the CH a joy to start.

Wish me luck! I'll let you know in a week or two how it works out. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

Thanks for your help, Dr. Dick!

Dave