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Edison Splitdorf RM Service Manual

Here is a factory service manual for the Edison Splitdorf RM to keep yours alive and well. If you are having trouble reassembling the impulse drive cup, you are not alone. Read on for sanity's sake.

The best way to remove the metal grease retainers is to push on the bearing cage as evenly as possible so not to distort them. Use the end of a deep socket and a plastic mallet to correct any distortion. These must be reused as Mr Edison and Elvis have long since left the building. One should wash and repack the thrust ball bearings.Modern grease stored under ideal conditions is good for 30 years according to the literature. This is not modern grease and is less than ideal conditions.The seals may be carefully pushed back in place with a deep socket and extension.

If you charge a magneto with the impulse installed the pawls may also get magnetized causing them to stick to the drive cup and not fall to engage the catch plate thus disabling the impulse and retard and possibly turning the tractor into an armbreaker. Always charge the magnets before installing the impulse coupler. If you manage to magnetize the pawls you can demag with an armature growler, just keeo it away from the magnets as it may demag them as well.

The condensers used in the single cylinder devices are notorious for electrical leakage and shorts and challenging to retrofit to say the least. The condensers used in the multi cylinder devices were much more robust and seldom failed.

The condenser used on single cylinder engines can be a major source of grief. Always check for leakage first then capacitance. Leakage is a big problem here. The condenser secures the points spring and there is not much real estate here making retrofit a challenge, but Mr Honda has a solution. The condenser for some of the early Honda cars can be used after taking the innards out of the original condenser as shown and preserving the insulated stud and nut where the points,coil and stop switch connect. Always file smooth any sharp edges near the condenser lead to prevent shorts. The condenser pigtail may be soldered to the center stud inside the can or connected outside with the coil,points etc. When soldering to the stud, be carefull not to get it too hot and damage the insulator.Not much real estate in there but it will fit. This condenser came from O'reilly Auto parts and is readily available, reasonably priced and designed as an ignition condenser.

Once the innards are out of the original condenser, snip off the mounting leg of the Honda condenser nearest the pigtail.  Snip off half of the rear mounting leg near the center of the U shaped channel and punch a hole near the center of the pointy feature  to mount with the original condenser mounting screw and all will be well. The capacitance, .22MFD, shown as .22UF is stamped on the side of the device.Some electrical engineering geeks use the Greek letter Mu for Micro, hence the .22UF. This is a good retrofit and with polished points and a new coil will be good and hot.

Next snip off and strip  the pigtail, solder to the center of the terminal inside the case and slide it together.

Retrofitted condenser in place. Use a hacksaw, Dremel Moto Tool or die grinder, to take the innards out, then make a slot down the side wall to make it easier to solder the pigtail to the center brass stud that secures the points spring, mindfull to avoid sharp edges that may pierce the pigtail insulation. This procedure makes them good and hot when all else is well.

Here is another way to attack the blessed condenser with a new capacitor retrofit. We use a Sprague/SBE/Vishay .15MFD 400 VDC 715P15 "Orange Drop" capacitor. TubesNMore AKA Antique Electonic Supply of Tempe, Az has these. They are very robust.

First slice the end of the can off about 1/8" with a Mototool and cutoff wheel, give it some heat with a heat gun to melt the tar, heat the solder on the stud with a soldering gun, then pull the innards out and clear out the excess tar.next slip som insulating paper inside the can, bend the capacitor leads as shown and slide it in place. It will be a sliding fit. 

Once assembled, check for shorts, then solder the leads to the stud and case. This should end all the condenser woes. 

New capacito in place and ready to install. See you in the next millenia.

This procedure described below on line 6 is very helpfull. It is nearly impossible to wiggle it together otherwise. Always check the catch pin inside the impulse cup. Sometimes they can get loose and/or break off. If they are broken off or missing you can machine a new pin from a grade 8 bolt and use a roller from roller chain.