[SEL] Back to the Briggs coil

Tue Feb 24 21:17:15 PST 2009

Hi Bill, You are correct, that number does cross into the points ign Briggs 
engines as they junk the points-condenser stuff and whip that coil in to 
replace it all. Works on the Briggs but not on the Maytag. Don't know 
why  but I am sure some engineer could tell us. Maybe it could work with 
the right modifications but what they are other then getting it fit to the 
Maytag post I don't know. I know the Briggs magnets are WAY stonger then 
the Maytag. Could be there is a contact internally that trips open with the 
strong Briggs magnetic field.                  Mark

At 08:21 PM 2/24/2009 -0600, you wrote:
>Apple and oranges. The magnetron system is electronic, not points. What the
>maytag folks want is a coil to replace their coil. The newer B&S coil is
>actually an ignition system that looks like the old coil but is a complete
>electronic ignition system AND coil in one sealed unit.
>I strongly doubt the magnetron system will work on the maytag.
>Could be wrong, but the reason it crosses on B&S is that they are UPGRADING
>your old engine to the new magnetron - or electronic ignition system.
>I suspect the little card that comes with that new B&S coil mentions this
>and mentions you don't connect the points any more.
>It's trigged by the magnetic field, electronically, not by points.
>Been a LOT of years since I was a B&S dealer, but some of this just seems
>familiar.........
>May be wrong.......
>Tell ya what, check with Bob.......... he does small engine repair,
>including B&S.
>
>Bill
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
>[mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com] On Behalf Of Ed stoller
>Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 7:08 PM
>To: stationary-engine at oldengine.org
>Cc: sel at lists.stationary-engine.com
>Subject: Re: [SEL] Back to the Briggs coil
>
>Jerry,
>
>On some of the older single cylinder engines,  years after being  built,
>Briggs specified a Magnetron replacement.  The Magnetron did not work on
>some engines until the flywheel was sent back to Briggs and they
>re-magnetized it for free, reversing the polarity. Since the older 394988
>coil appears to physically fit your Maytag twin, the Magnetron version,
>394988 should also physically fit. If it does fit, but does not work, it
>might be that it is not compatible with the polarization of the Maytag
>magnets on the flywheel. To map the magnet poles see
>http://home.earthlink.net/~edstoller/id2.html,   Figure 7.7. Maybe some one
>in the Maytag community with access to a magnet charger could do an
>experiment to see if this works.
>
>Ed Stoller
>New Fairfield, CT
>http://home.earthlink.net/~edstoller/
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Jerry Evans" <jerrye at databak.co.za>
>To: <stationary-engine at oldengine.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 8:43 AM
>Subject: Back to the Briggs coil
>
>
> > At 11:05 PM 23/02/2009, Mark Shulaw wrote:
> >>Jerry , That part number 394988 coil in the ad comes back as a solid state
>
> >>ignition coil not a points ignition coil which is preferrable for your
> >>use.    Mark
> > and:
> > Hi Jerry, Coil part number 394988 comes back as a electronic ignition
> > coil. Not a points coil. You can buy that coil 394988  all day long from a
>
> > place called Tulsa Engine Warehouse for $28.00
> > http://tewarehouse.com/7-01644
> > But its just not what we need. The twin points coils like we need is not
> > available new anymore unless you happen to find a dealership that has one
> > laying on a shelf.   Mark
> >
> > Hi Mark, Ed (Stoller) and others,
> >         Firstly let me say that I am very stupid when it comes to coils,
> > magneto's, ignition and suchlike so please bear with me when I show my
> > stupidity - I'm trying to learn :-)
> >
> >         What I want to try doing is to use these coils to replace burnt
> > out coils on 2 Maytag twin engines (Eisemann mags) as I read about this on
>
> > a Smokstak forum here:
> > <http://www.smokstak.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40815>
> > and also had some offline correspondence with Ed Radtke who seems to have
> > done many of these conversions.
> >         The most important part of what he (and the forum) mentioned was
> > that the coil had to be of the older type for "points ignition" not the
> > later replacement for electronic ignition and that this Briggs coil worked
>
> > on the same principle as the Maytag coil. ie the spark travels from the
> > coil to the 1st plug - then through the block to the second plug and then
> > back to the coil and not to earth. (My stupidity shows here - I only quote
>
> > this "parrot" fashion.)
> >
> >         These older (points ignition) coils are no longer in production
> > and very hard to find. Briggs & Stratton South Africa gave me the part
> > number 394988 for this coil (which I passed on to the lists). I called
> > them again today (after Marks message) and they again insisted that this
> > was the correct number for this (points ign.) coil. They told me that it
> > was replaced with 394891 which was the electronic version  (they mentioned
>
> > "Magnetron"). FWIW the guy I spoke to on both occasions has been with
> > Briggs for many years and seemed to know exactly what he was talking about
>
> > (although that is not always a guarantee) but my point is that he was not
> > just some youngster reading a parts list.
> >
> >         Mark, the link you gave me for The $28.00 coil from Tulsa
> > warehouse:
> > <http://tewarehouse.com/7-01644> is NOT for the coil with part number
> > 394988 but does mention that it is a replacement for this number as does
> > this page on the Briggs and Stratton site:
> >
><http://www.briggsandstratton.com/maint_repair/repair_parts/index.aspx?_dp=1
>&pno=394988>
> > which mentions #394988 being replaced by #394891 (which is the same as the
>
> > SA Briggs guy told me and probably the same coil as being sold by Tulsa
> > Warehouse). As a point of interest the Briggs price is $50.00.
> >
> >         What I (in my stupidity) understand from all of the above is that
> > Briggs replaced the original #394988 with the newer electronic (Magnetron
> > ??) #394891 which worked fine on their engines - would this have been a
> > straight swop or was there more to it? But to do the modification to a
> > Maytag the electronic coil will not work - I needed to find one of the
> > older (points ign.) type Briggs coils which I think I have managed to
> > find.
> >
> >         It is for this reason that I got all excited when I found the 2 #
> > 394988 coils on eBay. (Actually the link was forwarded to me by John Smith
>
> > who I believe to be quite clued up on B&S parts).
> >
> >         So Guys after this long post here is my question to you
> > knowledgeable guys. Have I bought the correct coils (as I believe I have)?
> >
> > Many thanks to you all for the help so far and also for what will still
> > come.
> > Keep well,
> > Jerry
> > P.S. I have my one Maytag twin running at present using a battery and 2
> > car coils. It runs beautifully but I'd like to get rid of the battery and
> > coils.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > To UN-subscribe, send a message to:
> >
> > stationary-engine-request at oldengine.org
> > with:
> > unsubscribe
> > in the subject of the message. Nothing else, no SIGs, etc.
> >
>
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Mark Shulaw
454 Co. Rd. 33
Bluffton, OH. 45817  USA

Frappi at wcoil.com
419.358.5206  Home
419.516.2996 Ver. Cell
Hobby Collector and Dealer in Maytag Multi-Motor Engine parts.