Ivan Dutton has spent his life obsessing about cars. Repairing them, tweaking them, restoring them, making them go faster and faster and racing them. Ivan is well known as a vintage Bugatti expert and racer, having established his business Ivan Dutton Bugatti, now run by his son Timothy, in the 1980s. Back in the early 1970s he had a very successful few years racing production saloon cars. Now in his 80s, his passion has not waned and he shares his knowledge and experience of all things automotive through this RU-vid channel. He has an eclectic mix of cars and bikes and there is a wide variety of content including advanced mechanical work and bodges in his Shed with 'old young John', driving antics on and off-road and on the track and then some gallivanting in the UK and Europe, with his friend Suzie. Plus a lot of his old chat.
Finally I get to see the Zenith! My father used to tell me about his friend who had one. The kickstart was broken and it had to bump started. Once it caught he’d be dragged up the road until he managed to either stop it, or get on the saddle.
You will always get a better spark on one cylinder than the other with a V-twin magneto as one is set on the point of maximum flux and the other is off by 1/2 the angle between the cylinders (ie. 50 degree engine, one spark is off by 25 degrees) the rear cylinder should be the one on the max flux point (25 degrees late will spark, 25 degrees early won't) retarding the sparks makes this situation worse as you've moved the 2nd spark even further away from max flux.
Sorry had to laugh when you got a belt Ivan, done it myself too many times! One plug will always have a weaker spark with a twin cylinder magneto. This is because the HT changes polarity as the mag rotates, in line with the North and South poles of the magnet. It is easier for the electrons to jump from the centre electrode to earth(ground) rather than the other way. Also, retarding the ignition to start can weaken the spark. My old Matchless twin will run on one until I advance the ignition. Definitely worth remagnetising as you’ve proved it works. P.S. I don’t blame you not trusting Ivan with the plug leads Suzie!😂
Ivan my hero! So very pleasant to watch. We have so much in common. Except your much more experienced than I. Verry inspiring! I watch you and I'm recharged and ready to head to the workshop. Thanks to you and we can't forget John for what you do. Some days I don't get much done because I can't stop watching you guys. Thanks and the best of health to all of you.
I find marginal, carbon tracked, acting up in the rain, etc. ignition parts benefit from a coat of RainX (a silicone oil based windshield treatment) after cleaning, or if you're in a hurry and being rained on just scrub with rain X and dry it off. Have saved a couple beater car distributor caps that way, I think the thin film of silicone oil stops a thin film of water forming on the old degraded surfaces, fills small cracks, you get the idea.
Fantastic great to see you and John working on the Zenith 👍👍 it’s entertaining watching you both and susie having fun investigating what you’ve purchased! 😊
You have to worry about your sanilty when you can watch two guys messing about with a magneto. Yet these videos are just fascinating, as good as meditation. Should be recommended by doctors to reduce blood pressure.
I'm picking that bike is running two front cylinder heads, a great way to get two carbs flowing really well. We used to stick a bit of plastic between the points before fiddling with mags, doesn't take much of a rotate to light your world up.
Nothing like getting a good charge from the impulse magneto 😂😂.. many a magneto was used on the welding cart to light the oxy torch.. the kids found it quite shocking..😊
Ivan and John remind me of all the older blokes I learned from as a young lad. I would love to see an episode dedicated to John and his history with cars and Ivan. Now I’m off to the shed to play around with the mag I have for the AJS I’m building.
My first workshop lesson as 5 year old, 70 years ago, Dad handed me the spark plug lead of his old Acme motorcycle and said "here boy, hold onto this", then he kicked the Kickstarter, Yahoo! I guess that'd be called child abuse today, for me it was the start of a whole lifetime career of mechanics. Suzie, Ivan, John, a privilege to spend time with you in the "Shed" once again, it's the fastest my time goes these days.
My brother used to build his street racing engines in our parents basement in the 60's, I was 10 or 11 and always hung around watching him and wanting to help. One night he called me down to help him and I couldn't get down fast enough. He had a short block together I think it was, and he tells me to cover this hole with my thumb really tight (I think it was a head bolt hole) and hold this wire (coil) while he turned the crankshaft. ⚡⚡ he laughed his ass off when I jumped back about 6 feet...
Great video again. Thank you all. My T shirts arrived this morning and they are fantastic quality I am really pleased with them. I will put the stickers on my toolbox.
I used to just grab the end of the plug wire to test the spark. People thought I was tough. I could tell you if it was a 20 kv or a 40 kv coil by the nastiness of the jolt.
it's just not good enough, we need more shots with suzi in, talking and showing her exquisite taste in clothes, and nail varnish, good music choice, I presume it's suzi so choice, I like it.
