Advice on timer/generator please.

[classicnvintage1]

I started work this morning on an issue with my reasonably new Lang's Anderson flapper type timer, which was only sparking on two cylinders. Took the cover out and cleaned it. I then had no spark at all! I checked the voltage at the little flapper itself, with the cover off and it isn't showing 6v, just a few mV. I'm assuming that should be 6v at all times. The voltage at the generator feed wire is 6v. Any suggestions about simple checks I can make to track down the issue please?

Len

[Scott_Conger]

A timer is a device which grounds each of the 4 coils at the correct time to cause them to operate. There will never be any voltage at the flapper. It sounds like you have a timer harness issue and possibly failed or cold joints at the little "flags" that are attached to the timer.

Andersons are not perfect but are darn near bullet-proof.

[Norman Kling]

As Scott has noted, the flapper is grounded. The 6 volts comes in in each of the wires attached to the terminals on the outside of the timer. First thing to check would be the wire from the switch to the coil box. With the switch on battery, there should be 6 volts at the point at the bottom of the coil box where that wire is attached. Then go to the upper terminals of the coil box and each of them should show 6 volts with the key on. Next check at the terminals at the timer. If you have 6 volts at each of these locations, your problem is in the timer itself. The flapper is not making contact with the contact points inside the timer. Note: the coils will only buzz when the flapper is in contact with the inside contact points on the timer, so try rotating the engine and it should buzz one of the coils. The firing order is 1 2 4 3. So depending on which coil is buzzing, the next one will buzz as you rotate the crankshaft. Two coils should buzz with each one turn of the crankshaft. There will also be a portion of the turn of the crankshaft between the contacts on the timer where there is no buzz. So if 1 buzzes first, the next in order would be 2 However if 3 buzzes first, the next one would be 1 and the sequence is repeated.
If you have 6 volts at the bottom of the coil box, but no voltage at the upper terminals on the coil box, your trouble is either within the coil box itself, or one or more of the coils is not working.
Norm

[classicnvintage1]

Thank you - it is, of course, obvious! But, electrickery always catches me out!!