Technical Advance on magnetos FH

I has bought a Scintilla magnet to my FH but it was not complete as the seller could not find the lower part fit a 8BA.
He do might find it.
Idea first was find a angle adapter to a 3 bolt cam cover but with a blower installation I thought it was better use the later style cam cover.
Now on this 59AB it will be no blower so I find it cooler to use a adapter.
But I know the short style adapter is straight up but the longer one get it angle ( I think CC is around 3.6” )
But the shorter at straigh up do work ( I think )
I will use a intske that I cant use the alternator at std position.

Anyway on the advance curves.
I know there is stiff and several degree curve designs.
Some told md a FH like max 28 degree but today I heard there are one with ex 35 degree and that gets power if engine rew up.
-So can you educate me on magnets in a FH, no blower ( best installation 59 SB ) and what to find for advance curves.
This is a hot up FH fir streets but intake will be hard to use but I build it for high tew ( even if I will very seldom do that.

 

26 total all in at 2 Krpm, or less advance depending if she can't handle it ya don't need extra advance on a flathead, if using the 8Ba timing cover ya need 8BA timing and crank gears also .........

 

I has never play with a FH or magnets but if. I build a engine I use a dyno, and normally one can say the muscle car era engines get around 35-38 and some like +40 depending on heads etc and real good heads get it lower.
My hemi on racefuel like 35 degree if I go after HP.
If a race only I use it look distributor or remove springs.
I use the starter and press ign, so no issue
On a street motor I use springs so at + 2K it get full ign.
Ok over to a flattie.
I cant say how much ign they like depending but yesterday someone told me they like well over 30 if they rew ( this is of course depending on breath and cam )
I will dyno my FH ( just as I can and fun.
It will has old E&S heads and a E&S 4 carb intake and a ex Jr 400 cam.
I has no clue how it will make on HP or RPM.

But how does the magnets advance curve works and how many designs are it.
Don’t one use max ign ( install it at the RPM one like ) and its lower the ign low RPM.
-Or how does it work ?

 

Hi,

I can't comment on the magneto and not sure if this is the motor that you were thinking of putting the ARDUN heads on but in terms of Ford Flathead timing the following information was given to me by Mike Davidson who was very active on the Australia Salt Racing scene until due to illness he had to sell his toys and business. He also has published a number of books and developed his own range of flathead speed equipment.

For mild engines he recommends initial advance of 5 degrees and have the distributor advance a further 20 degrees - to give a total advance of 25 degrees.

For serious horsepower he suggests 10 degrees initial advance and 15 degrees distributor advance - 25 degrees total advance

If using a blower he suggests a total of 20 degrees advance.

In all cases total advance to be in by 2500 rpm.

If it was my engine I wouldn't be departing from Mikes advice and didn't when I was building mine.

 

I read some and one mag had at tag at ; 600-2100-14, so in reality it was 1200 to 4200 RPM and a total advance curve at 28 degree.
So say one can set it over 30 degree or say 30 degree ( if that works ) but then one has only 2 degree at idle or 1200 RPM.
Need learn more here on this mags ( set up )
The guy told yesterday me most used wrong mags and in some combo way to little timing ( under 30 ) and he said he rew his one to 6.500 and it went easy over 100 MPH.
Classic hot rod FH hot cam and 35 degree timing.
He testted a Mallory from the Scintilla and it was not the same speed on car, so he mean it's a good to use a magnet ( and his one was in the car for decades ) and no issues.
I think he said it was a mag from a Chevy SB he found.

 

Ok if you don't like Mike's advice then maybe you might be swayed by the Tex Smith publication - The complete Ford Flathead V8 Engine Manual by Ron Ceridono.

Within that publication there is a great how to article called "Makin' the sparks fly" by Tony Karppinen. The article is a how to giving the machining and specs on how to modify a chev distributor so it will physically fit onto a Ford 8BA.

The Chev distributor is physically larger so the housing has to be turned down, the main shaft shortened and the ford gear drive used.

In the same publication under the section "Ignition Systems - lighting the fire" by Ron Ceridono. Ron advises that the chev advance curve must be altered to suit the flatheads needs. Ron suggests initial advance of 2 to 4 degrees (and never exceed 8) with a total all in advance around 22 to 24 degrees, and generally no more than 26 degrees.

I have done the chev conversion using this information as I am sure have many others.

If your guy is using a chev mag then my****umption is that it has been modified.

 

Scintilla/Vertex magnetos have "advance plates" in the bottom of them - they determine the curve and final amount of mechanical advance. Normal SBC Vertex mags (what you find the most) - if they are not "locked out" - have advance plates of usually around 12 - 14 degrees in the magneto - so 24 to 28 degrees on mechanical advance. The advance plates can be changed to configure the total advance. You can't just throw new plates in them - you need to run it up on a tester to know for sure how it works out. I like to achieve 7 - 10 degrees in the magneto - so 14 - 20 total advance and then set the initial to achieve about 24 - 26 total advance (depending on what the motor likes, type of fuel, etc..). The one I have in my 32 Cab has 8 degrees in the mag, so 16 on the crank and I run a total of about 25 degrees advance.

Interesting enough, when I built our big blown flathead Cadillac for Bonneville, we then ran it on the dyno multiple times -- from gas to alky. The total advance it liked was 26 degrees - any more than that and we actually lost horsepower.

 

Note: On any used magneto, it needs to be gone through - have the magnets recharged, check the advance, etc.. A good magneto shop can setup the mechanical advance to be exactly what you need.

 

B&S,
Yes your idea sounds fair to me around 8-10 and full ign at max 26 depending on compression, fuel, cam etc.
If I has a Scintilla old 40’s house/cap but no bottom who can help out ?
I might not use the Merc cam cover and go the 3-bolt 59AB deal/adapter ( but where to find one ? )

 

Hi, I am interested in the angle drive plate for the vertex magneto for the flathead ford engine. Do you have one for sale? I need an angle drive that will exit on the passenger side of the engine. Can you****ist? Thank you, Rick 412-378-1191.

 

The standard Vertex advance plates are available in 7 degrees and 12 degrees (that is mag degrees - not crank degrees). So 14 or 24 crank degrees in addition to your initial static setting. They don't have the same level of adjustment as a distributor advance setup, but any good mag shop can get you very close to what you want.