Apply a microscopic amount of "cam grease" to the felt pad. If oil gets onto the breaker points, the magneto will fail. 6. Safety Warning: The "Hot" Magneto
Note: Adjusting E-gap usually requires a timing light or a dedicated magneto synchronization box. 5. Lubrication: Less is More One of the fastest ways to ruin a Scintilla is over-oiling.
Use a very light film of high-temperature grease. scintilla magneto manual
Many vintage Scintillas feature oil cups. Use only a few drops of high-grade instrument oil every 100 hours of operation.
Always treat a magneto-equipped engine as if it could start at any second. If the internal grounding wire (the P-lead) is broken, the magneto is "hot," meaning it will fire if the propeller or flywheel is turned, even if the ignition switch is "OFF." Summary Checklist for Your Shop Manual Tool Needed Every 100 Hours Feeler Gauge Cleaning Blocks Denatured Alcohol Bearing Lube Per Manufacturer Specs Instrument Oil Magnet Recharge Rare (every 10+ years) Magneto Charger Apply a microscopic amount of "cam grease" to the felt pad
If your internal timing is off, the engine may start easily but stumble at high RPMs, or vice versa.
Use a hard-finish paper (like a business card) soaked in a little solvent to white away oil or oxidation between the points. Safety Warning: The "Hot" Magneto Note: Adjusting E-gap
Rotate the engine or magneto shaft until the cam follower is on the highest point of the cam lobe.
Unlike modern electronic ignitions, a Scintilla magneto is a self-contained high-voltage generator. It doesn’t require a battery to operate; instead, it uses a rotating magnet to induce an electrical current in a primary coil.
Look for hairline cracks in the Bakelite distributor blocks. These can cause "carbon tracking," where the spark jumps to the ground instead of the plug.