Hitchcocks Forum

I need a bit of help please. I have a 1957 royal Enfield model G de luxe (clipper) with a missing magneto ,fibre gear and fixings.
I understand a Lucas MO1L mag dyno will fit so anyone know of one for sale in working order. I don't mind if the dynamo is no good as I am building a pre 65 trials so won't be fitting lights.
Has anyone found an alternative to the MO1L , i.e what other magnetos could be fitted and will they all need to use a hand operated advance and retard as there isn't space inside the timing case to fit an automatic A/R unit.
I don't mind what it looks like !
Someone out there must have had this problem !
Thanks
Steve

Steve, if it was out here I would be looking at Bullet distributor and run points/coil ignition because we don't have too many bits to choose from here but it would also require a battery fitted under the seat

If you don't need the dynamo then you can use a Lucas N1 they generally have a manual advance and are pretty much the same kit as the mag/dynos. You'll need to shorten the tie down strap or make a shaped block to take up the room. You'll also need to check that the drive height is right. Generally you can adjust this up with a plate under the body of the mag. I successfully fitted a 1930's BTH mag to my 51 Bullet at one stage when I was doing an A B test to see what was causing an issue. It was a jury rig but it worked fine so any plinth style mage should be able to be fitted with a bit of care.

The M01L is by far your best option,They are quite common and relatively cheap. I would source the most complete one you can find. Pay particular attention to the points housing - as they're handed.If you are doing a trials machine you will need slack advance. You dont want timing creep as you go over bumps! Ignore any sellers claims about servicability and reliability. Send it to a reputable magneto specialist , who will have the facilities to deal with the armature and the magnets. There are NO shortcuts to a good magneto unfortunately....

Thanks to you all for that info. I don't have an alternator in the primary chain case so if I somehow Macklemsome points onto where the magneto pinion was then it would have to be a total loss system with a battery. I am looking for a mo1l mag dyno but I wouldn't say these we're cheap !
I think I will go down the standalone magneto route as it's going to be a trials machine so as long as I find
One with manual advance .
Currently fitting new bearing to gearbox then the joy of sorting the clutch out.
Thanks
Stevefromleicester

I have a Lucas SR1 on my 350 Bullet trials with no advance and retard at all. It works faultlessly, but can give a nasty kick back if you are not careful. The SR1 is comparatively cheap and reliable compared with the alternatives. If you want to spend a bit more have a look at modern BTH units, but they are very expensive.

Thanks for that info about the Lucas sr1 mag.
Much appreciated .
Could you advise me how you fixed it to the bike did you modify the metal holding down strap or does it bolt on as there are two holes or do these just act as locating pegs ?

Stevefromleicester

Steve, the SR1 was on the bike when I got it, it has a base plate/mounting platform attached to it which has one bolt at the clutch end and I think dowels that engage in the top of the crankcase. It also has a strap over the top, which has been shortened........If your timing chest has three holes where the magneto enters (The same as the fixings for the distributor on the later Bullets)there are three matching holes on the front of the SR1. I think the base plate/mounting platform is a Lucas part rather than specific to the bike.

My SR1 just attaches with the three screws the same as the battery and coil setup. The mag body just rests on the top of the crankcase. It's been that way for a few years now without a problem so you probably can do without the strap. I would recommend an auto advance though as despite the expense they make the bike far nicer to start and ride.

If its a model G though it won't have the later style mounting will it? If it had a mag/dyno it will be the same strap down type as the early Bullets and so an SR1 is going to need to be a plinth mount type rather than a flange innit? Also you wont have a blude for the auto advance. If this is the case I'd go for either the Mag/Dyno as new or a N1 that will have a manual advance.