Fairchild Club Forum

Hi all,

My 1938 Fairchild has been down for maintenance at Aerocenter at Felts Field in Spokane. We've replaced the plugs and had the magnetos rebuilt. When switching to the right magneto, the engine dies. Aerocenter says the magneto timing is spot on. They feel the only thing left is to replace the leads. Does anyone have some, or know where to source them?

Has anyone else run into this and have ideas as to what else it might be?

Jim

Don't know who rebuilt your mags but I can almost guarantee it's not the leads. I've got more than 600 hrs behind a Ranger and your problem definitely sounds like a bad mag or grounded points. The easiest way is to pull the right magneto and test it. Also check your mag switch. I can't see a scenario where all six leads on one mag would go bad at once. No way. The only source for Ranger harnesses I know of is Fresno but they lost their source of 7mm wires a few years back in the pandemic. Don't know if they found a new source. Check with Bobby Crispi at Fresno first.