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Mag to EI change?

togaflyer

Well Known Member
Just want to bounce a what would you do question out.

I’m coming up on 300 hours on my mags. I’m considering changing one out to either an EMag or Surefly. I currently have two Bendix impulse mags (left and right) in my IO 540. If I go with Surefly I will need to change out the harness to a Slick harness since I have Bendix. If I go with EMag it’s an auto plug change out. Either way it’s a 2K investment. But question....can I still run an impulse mag with an electronic ignition installed or do I need to switch to a non impulse coupling mag. Is it worth doing the change now and selling a mag set up with 200 hours remaining or just run them out to the 500 hour inspection. An IRAN for the mag is probably around 400 or so. Finally, both Surefly and EMag claims their product is good for a couple thousand hours, but Surefly only warranties theirs for two years and EMag only for a year. Not a huge vote of confidence for a product they say will run for a couple thousand hours. Any concerns on these products.
 
EI with impulse magneto

No problem running EI with impulse or non-impulse mag. I replaced the impulse mag first and ran for a couple of years before replacing the non-impulse side. At the time, EMag was the most compelling solution for me and it has been flawless. However, there are certainly more solutions available today and I might make a different choice if starting anew.

Cheers, Sean
 
I ran one Pmag and an impulse mag for about 150 hours before changing the impulse mag out for a second Pmag last week.

Everything worked flawlessly.
 
Electroair EI and Mag with an impulse coupler on an IO-540 in my 6. No issues...works great, lasts long time! ;)

Cheers,
Bob
 
Mag

Impulse mag on the left and Electroair EI on the right, easy starts and running perfectly.
 
The OP has a marketing component and a technical component. The marketing part seems to be "is it better to dump the magneto on the market now, or consume residual utility before spending $400 on the refresh and THEN dumping it"? Personally, I think the mag is fresh enough that the market value is still high. Id think you would be ahead selling a "somewhat fresh" mag today. There are still plenty of old school builders who value the magneto. Sell it now.

The technical side is simpler. EI and magnetos live together just fine. The degree of "how fine" is based on the adjustability of the EI you purchase. The market has many choices here, but few offer the adjustability to "optimize" the mag/EI composite. As a blanket statement though, ANY product you purchase will probably give you a performance boost.

Then there's the impulse coupler. Dump it if you can. With an EI it adds no value for starting with the starter and does introduce risk in the possibility of spontanious dissassembly. Unless you are looking to hand prop the engine on a sandbar in Alaska with a snowstorm approaching, the impulse coupler does not buy any advantage.
 
I just got my two pmags for christmas that arrived UPS today. Mags already pulled and will be replaced in the next couple of days. Looking forward to better starts and more efficient fuel burns.
 
I’m glad I can keep the impulse. I run a single bus system, but have a primary and back up alternator. I’m favoring the EMag and going to the auto plugs, otherwise I would need to install a slick harness for the Surefly. My plan is to replace the right mag with the EMag. Does it matter which side an electronic ignition is installed on.
 
As a testament to what toolbuilder said you can look at one of my recent threads where a brand new impulse coupler failed on me. It is turning out to be a TREMENDOUS PITA and time dump to fix it. I will be replacing with a pmag to get rid of the impulse coupler.
 
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