Topic: ARD Magneto

[chung]

Sorry, Terry Kept that one too brief.

I was just commenting on the fact that the 750 has the points cover screws located different than the 500/550 even though the covers will swap except then the name is cock-eyed.

I always thought it was odd that they were different. No obvious reason for it

[puppytrax]

I was just commenting on the fact that the 750 has the points cover screws located different than the 500/550 even though the covers will swap except then the name is cock-eyed.

Chung - Do you know if the points plate mounts in the same position for both the 550 and 750?? You can see the three plate mounting screw holes in my pic; hard to tell from big_jim's pic [sorry Jim!] if they're in the same location as the 550...

My 550 points plate mounts at 1, 5, and 8 o'clock...three 5mm x.8 Metric screws...My points cover mounts at 4 and 10 o'clock; two 6mm x 1.0 screws...the ARD crank extension fastener is a 6mm x 1.0 x 80mm screw...

[Jim F]

do you need better pics rich
let me know and I will post them

Jim

[puppytrax]

do you need better pics rich
let me know and I will post them

Jim - can you lay out the parts like I did??? Approximately like they would mount on the case??? Thanks!

Does anyone know who made that 90* distributor drive for the CB750?? The gear driven one that mounted on the end of the crank where the points are?? I think there is a cap for that distributor on eBay right now...

[cafe75-550]

Saw the post on eBay- I'm looking for a cap and belt for the Mk2 CDI mag for a CB750...tried to get a hold of ARD but I guess that move has already taken place as the number is disconnected...

Does anyone have any info on the cap and belt, or on ARD itself?

[puppytrax]

Saw the post on eBay- I'm looking for a cap and belt for the Mk2 CDI mag for a CB750...Does anyone have any info on the cap and belt, or on ARD itself?

Yeah, I asked that guy - here's his reply -

yes that cap is for a cdi --ard mag i bought that from allen+larry i still have paper work that came with it...GOT ANY LEADS ON WHAT KIND OF CAP THAT RED ONE IS...in minn last year i ran into a guy that had one on a cb750 hillclimb bike he thought it was from a fiat car thats were i been looking but don,t have one in my hand thou any info is good soTHANKS keep me posted Roger

So! That red cap has a coil lead, so I'm thinking it might be for that 90 degree distributor drive for the 750 that someone mentioned...

[chung]

one of these? someone mentioned that it may use a VW distributer but for some reason I was thinking FIAT? Perhaps it could be that it's about the only reliable part on one?
Fix
It
Again
Tony

[puppytrax]

one of these?

Now that is interesting...   

But obviously not what that red cap is for...Have you ever tried that RC distributor out??

[chung]

Hell no, that one went for $500 on egay a couple years ago. I had the cash in my hand too but had to pay rent that week.

I'm homeless now so if you see one, let me know PLEASE.

[Jim F]

going to post pictures tonight
for the lay out for rich

see ya guys

oh yeah

its 80 degrees in the Atlanta

went riding over the weekend and heres the beast that I rode until the Honda is finished
1983 GS1100 W/ 16k on the clocks.............love this bike

hope this doesn't miss up the SOHC web page

[Jim F]

by the way

what size wires do you use?       7MM or 8MM

guess what ever fits the cap

Jim

[Terry in Australia]

by the way

what size wires do you use?       7MM or 8MM

guess what ever fits the cap

Jim

G'Day Jim, nice Suzy mate, I think that the plug wires need to be 7mm, from memory?

For Bryan, I'm still waiting for any info on the Mk2 belt, my local engineer supply store supposedly can't get one for me?

If you get one from ARD, make sure they send you the correct one for a Mk2 , the ones Jim was sent for me must be for a Mk1, they're way too big for a MK2? Cheers, Terry

[cafe75-550]

For Bryan, I'm still waiting for any info on the Mk2 belt, my local engineer supply store supposedly can't get one for me?

If you get one from ARD, make sure they send you the correct one for a Mk2 , the ones Jim was sent for me must be for a Mk1, they're way too big for a MK2? Cheers, Terry

Terry-

Think I got the belt figured out, based on the measurements I got from Rich the belt for his ARD is the same size as the one I need...which is strange since his is a Mk1...

I'll let you know when I get the belts 

I also have a new dist. cap and rotor on the way, if those work then I'll post the info on them too!

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks Mate, I hope that belt fits, but I tried a Mk1 belt on the ARD mag I sent you and it was way too long, (and too wide) so don't get too excited just yet. Cheers, Terry.

[puppytrax]

No problemo, Terry! We'll wait for you to come up with the definitive part number for the belts! 

[upperlake04]

Puppyrax - I've been following this thread for the past year and a half, and it continues to amaze me how just three guys can carry on an interesting, informative and civil conversation on what must be the most obscure and irrelevant subject in all of SOHC/4 history.  Keep up the good work!

[puppytrax]

...and it continues to amaze me how just three guys can carry on an interesting, informative and civil conversation on what must be the most obscure and irrelevant subject in all of SOHC/4 history...

Well, I never! 

... ...

Has it really been a year and a half?? No...has it??

I have to go through this 12 pages anyway to correct my posts about my ARD conversion being a "750" conversion...Inspection has shown it is a "500/550" conversion, not for a 750...Although the basic mount seems to be cast for both versions...but mine is drilled for the 500/550 only...

I think from the photos and descriptions here that it is obvious that there are more than two "Mark" versions...Terry talked about the "Mk2" having variations, and there are pics here showing at least three versions of the "MK1" (one laydown FM mag 750; one upright FM mag 750; and my upright FM mag 550)...

I've been watching the Triumph/BSA/Norton/harley ARD conversions on eBay, and although anything Britbike is fetching big $$$, the ARD seems quite popular - there is no problem with any of the two-cylinder conversions selling...   

[Terry in Australia]

Now that's a smiley I could use! Have you got a "thumbs down" one as well mate? Cheers, Terry.

[Jim F]

Hey Hey Hey

I am the third guy in this bunch of misfits and I do resemble every remark....... thank you very much.
If your not carfull uperlake04 I might post another pic of my GS1100 and relay screw the pooch on the SOHC page.....

as terry says:

cheers

Jim

For Rich
refresh my memories on what kind of lay out you wanted to see of my ARD
old guy getting brain farts again

Jim

[puppytrax]

refresh my memories on what kind of lay out you wanted to see of my ARD

Jim - A pic of the disk and the mag mount that fits over it, if you have it stripped down. I'd just like to confirm that your 750 has the 550 reliefs...like my 550 has the 750 reliefs...and if the points plate is positioned the same as the 550...Thankyouverymuch!!!...   

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I bought two of the ARD magneto [FM] twin conversions back in the '70's...for ~$265 each...and I vaguely recall that ARD made a Honda conversion...but I've never seen the 550 conversion offered or mentioned anywhere...just the 750...

Did someone here also mention that ARD made other '70's Japanese 4-cylinder magneto conversions?? 

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Rich, yeah, I've got three more ARD's in my garage, all for Kawasaki Z1 900/ KZ1000 etc, I'll eventually convert one to suit my CB750 needs, they're all MK2's, (or at least that shape) but interestingly, two of them use points!

That's right, only one set of points, and they're located down at the crank end, and all the belt driven "distributor" does, is, er, well, it distributes the spark!

Now I reckon they're either a MK 2.5 or perhaps MK 3 even, because there is a small round "man hole cover" set into the belt housing cover to allow the cleaning and setting of the points without the removal of the cover.

I initially thought someone had modified the entire ARD ignition and the belt cover, but the cover is a slightly different casting to allow the inclusion of the points plate assembly, so once again, perhaps another ARD Enigma, ha ha!

These two particular ARD's came from old drag bikes in the US which would have probably been run with no electrics at all, so the MK2 electronic ignition with external coil and black box wouldn't have been that suitable, unless they wanted to run a battery. (extra weight)

I'll post a pic or two tonight when I get home from Army Reserve training. (if I don't fall asleep in front of the TV watching the Albert Park Grand Prix replay, I love motor racing, but it puts me to sleep.) Cheers, Terry.    

[Terry in Australia]

I got off early this afternoon, so took the K1 for a good three hour ride, and saw 120 Mph on more than one occasion, life is good, ha ha!

Here's some pics of the two different ARD mags in my garage, I've got two with points, and one with the EI, they look similar, but are actually quite different. Oh, and the disc is a 750 item I drilled for Ben Fahey, it was just sitting on the box. Cheers, Terry.

[Terry in Australia]

Oops, had to do two posts to fit all the pics in! 

[puppytrax]

Those are quite interesting!! Does the "Mk2.5" have a magnet/rotor behind the points??

That looks like Allen tried fitting the FM guts in the newer style housing...not a bad idea...

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Rich, yeah mate, that's it, the "magneto" is behind the points plate, like on a two stroke dirt bike. Nice and compact, and I guess it worked ok as there were a lot on drag bikes, "back in the day". Cheers, Terry.