Magneto not working

[phonium]

I am trying to get a magneto to work with a ringer but it is not turning smoothly and not ringing. Does anyone have advice?

[Doug Rose]

oil the gears

[Jack Ryan]

I am trying to get a magneto to work with a ringer but it is not turning smoothly and not ringing. Does anyone have advice?

I think it is best if you are asking for help to give as much information about the problem as possible. As it is, the only way to answer your question is with a question.

Is anything connected to the magneto when you experience this or does it only happen when the ringer is connected?

Jack

[phonium]

It does not work with any of my ringers
It does not work without a ringer
Oiling the gears doesn't help
It is very hard to turn and doesn't produce any electricity

That is all I have tested so far

[rdelius]

Hard to turn can indicate a load across the output. (shorted) See if the switch is working or not damaged by lightning

[RB]

If it turns kind of clunky, it may be a short.
If it is just difficult  to turn, the bushings, or armature may be dirty.
has it been serviced?

[phonium]

It is just very clunky

[phonium]

How do I fix the short now?

[rdelius]

Remove or isolate the switch. See if the magneto turns freely. It should. if not, the coils might be shorted. This feels differently than lack of lubrication.

[phonium]

Whats a 'switch'? Sorry, I am not good with magnetos

[rdelius]

When you turn the crank on the magneto, the shaft turns and moves in or out. At the end of the shaft are contacts. This is what I was refering to. They could not be opening and closing properly or hidden lightning damage. If you insert a thin piece of plastic or cardboard between the shaft and the contacts, this will isolate the switch. The magneto should turn easier unless the coils are shorted

[phonium]

It is easier, but not easy.

[TelePlay]

The attached PDF file contains pages 185-187 of a 1923 WE Catalog from the TCI website showing several different magnetos switch/circuit designs

WE 1923 Catalog #5 - scroll down to document page 189.

The switch position is circled in yellow in the image below. These may or may not be one like yours. At least it shows where it is.

From experience, I have found that a magneto can turn "clunky" or hard when not connected to ringer or connected to a ringer that is not a proper load, or, shorted out for some reason.