Lighting Coil Questions

EricD.. · Oct 16, 2023

I went to an automotive swap meet this past Sunday and found a pile of crap snowblower with to my surprise had a to what I believe a HS50 on it with a lighting coil! I paid 25 bucks for it and lugged it home. I got it running and the light works. Question. There is only one wire. I was hoping to use this on another HS50 and use it for my 1970 Rupp Roadster that has a 3 wire plug. Can this be adapted or no?

cfh · Oct 17, 2023

that's a charging coil, not really a lighting coil. snowblowers with a battery used this to charge the battery. and the battery would ultimately run the light. and yes one wire (and ground obviously.) Usually there's a 1n4004 diode and a 50mfd cap on these units, so they charge DC. I can’t tell if yours has the diode and the capacitor. If it doesn’t, it’s an AC unit. you can use this as a lighting coil if DC, if you're headlight is an LED. but at idle you'll get a lot of flicker. but the party is the flywheel. that's a good 3 magnet flywheel (must be CDI.) if you can get an actual lighting setup (they are available on ebay), you will have a full fledge lighting system.

markus · Oct 17, 2023

EricD.. said:

If the other HS50 you have is electronic ignition (external coil) yes you can use it. You may find the lugs under the flywheel are not drilled an tapped for the bolts though, but there is usually a divit in place to do that yourself and get it where it needs to be, depends on the application of the engine when it left the factory if they drilled them or not.

what you have is a 18 watt a.c. lighting coil for an optional light on the snowblower (information posted above is incorrect) If your OK with just one light you can get away with just it just fine (depending on wattage of bulb). Not sure how light of wattage you can find in a par series headlamp that will fit your 1970 housing, but if you can get a really light wattage one you can also find a really low wattage bulb for the tail and maybe get away with that as well (no brake light though) so the 2 bulbs dont go too far over 18 watts when added together. Problem with low wattage headlamp might be that it does not give you that great of beam for driving, if the snowblower has a round light in it though you can probably just use that bulb on the bike.

They do make (or made, not real sure if they are available anymore) a plug in play to your Rupp harness 3 wire 3 amp A.C. lighted that will work with your 3 magnet flywheel as well. it puts out the same voltage and wattage as they did back in the 1970's and plug is configured the same. so its about 35w per leg on those. I have one stock NOS for @$100 shipped in the lower 48 if you cannot find one.

anything else they offered to work with a 3 magnet flywheel was charging only DC output and single wire. Those were used just to run a charge to a starter battery only (like on a forest gump size tractor or Troy built tiller etc..) ..... Tecumseh snow blowers NEVER HAD 12v electric start in these sizes, just 120v

cfh · Oct 17, 2023

Here’s a charging set up used with CDI ignition flywheels. I have used this running an LED headlight. This one is DC because it has the diode and capacitor inside the plastic case. LED headlights can be powered by this, but at idle it will flicker. But once you get rolling, it’s actually makes your LED headlight pretty bright. Which is amazing since it’s using the single magnet for the CDI ignition. It’s not ideal but it’s a cheap way to get a headlight on a Tecumseh cdi engine. Note, I also use a small resistor on the LED headlight because this device can output above 12 V at higher RPM. and you don’t wanna blow up the LED headlight.

EricD.. · Oct 17, 2023

Great info guys thanks for the replies. Ok so not all bad here. I do want the Rupp to use original lights and bulbs so the coil I have is no good. But the flywheel is good. I does use CDI ignition or what I would call electronic ignition. I took the HS50 that’s on the bike apart and it does look like I could bolt a coil to it and the flywheel fits. So Markus I’d be interested in buying the lighting coil you mentioned it sound like it should work?

Thanks again Guys.

cfh · Oct 18, 2023

Yes you can use that lighting coil that Mark mentioned on that engine. It will give plenty of power to run traditional headlight/tail light (without using LED lights.) The only down side, for a Rupp, is you will have the more "square" blower housing. if it's a pre-1973 Rupp, those motors had the rounded blower housing. the squared top ones are a "tell" that it's not really the right engine... but only to mini bike nerds like us...

markus · Oct 18, 2023

EricD.. said:

Let me dig out my Lighted flywheels/parts today to get those alternators out, I will snap photo's and send info via private message.....gotta get the box out anyway as I just picked up an early HS40 lighted magneto assembly that needs to thrown in there before something happens to it!

EricD.. · Oct 18, 2023

Thanks, Again guys. Yes I know the squared housing is undesirable. It’s what’s been on there since I had it for about 34 years. So to me it looks normal. I do think about changing it though. I do have an early HS40. I’m not sure what to do with. It would need the crank tapped and the lighting coil and flywheel added. The block has the bump for an electric start so not sure this is an ideal engine to put money into. When I get to it I was going to restore it to the way it was when I had it as a kid. Incorrectly with the white tank, motor and wheels. I go back and fourth on the engine.

Lighting Coil Questions

EricD..

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cfh

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markus

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cfh

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EricD..

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cfh

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markus

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EricD..

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