55hp - TRL-10R

[casi77]

i have this motor, was wondering if this can be converted to coil type (car coil type) ignition? not sure if it has points ignition or not. can anybody tell from the model number trl-10r ?

there is a "motorola" brand amp. box on this motor, just wondering if its possible to convert to car coil type igntion if this box if faulty and how?

thanks

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: 55hp - TRL-10R - have points? ignition convert to coil?

Re: 55hp - TRL-10R - have points? ignition convert to coil?

I'm afraid I don't recognize those numbers. The motor that comes to mind was the earliest triple. It was a 55Hp with amplified ignition and hydroelectric shift from 1968-69. The amps are prone to failure. New ones are around $300 last I checked and they also advise a new $30 (ballpark) coil. I got lucky and got the two off eBay for $59.

If you have one of these, turn it to top dead center for the top cylinder. Check for spark there with somebody turning the key on and off a buncha times (without hitting start). If it sparks when the key turns off, the amp and coil are good.

There are two sets of points under the flywheel. The rubbing blocks against the cam on the crankshaft wear down til they have no gap. Clean and gap them to .010 and hopefully the ignition system will start working for you. Put a dab of grease on each of the rubbing blocks to keep them from wearing down again.

The distributor cap under the flywheel is extremely brittle. Be very careful with it. You can't get them anymore.

Go to johnson.com and navigate through Parts & Accessories to Engine Diagrams. You'll find your motor there if it's 1968 or newer. Seeing a diagram might help.

Most amp failures are from corroded or loose battery connections. Always keep the connections clean and tight. Use a pliers on the wingnuts. I don't see any working original amps anymore. I think they probably fail with age as well.

The points are maker points, not breaker points. Conventional battery ignition systems fire when the points break contact. Amplified ignition systems fire when the points make contact. So simple conversion isn't possible.

One valuable diagnostic tool is Dark. Those systems are prone to spark leaking to ground before getting to the sparkplug. It can be easy to spot in the dark with somebody operating the key while you look around for arcing as the motor is being turned-over.

 

[F_R]

Re: 55hp - TRL-10R - have points? ignition convert to coil?

Re: 55hp - TRL-10R - have points? ignition convert to coil?

Some people have converted to auto coil and condenser seemingly with success, although I never have tried it. Those points are a little strange, two sets of points firing 3 cylinders. When one or both sets of points is closed the wire from amplifier is grounded and a storage capacitor in the amplifier is charged to 350 volts. When both sets are open, the amplifier is triggered to discharge the 350 volts from the capacitor through the coil which increases it to 25,000 volts to fire the plug. As I recall, the resulting points dwell is kind of wierd for operating a car coil. You will never burn the points when using them as intended, but use them for a car coil subjects them to all the pitting and burning that went with cars for years. Replacement points are getting hard to find and are not cheap.

There is also an anti-reverse cutout ring on the crankshaft that shorts out the points if the motor tries to run backwards, which it is fully capable of doing. The cut-out ring should be lubricated VERY sparingly with some EP grease. Without lubrication, it wears and the metal dust from it causes electrical leakage paths. Also, if severe enough, it wears in two and the pieces can short something out.

If you have spark, but still have misfiring and missing, and if you still have the original surface gap spark plugs, trash them and install a set of Champion QL77JC4 gapped at .030" That alone has fixed many a motor.