Watched a guy fix a Cessna 172 magneto with zip ties in a hangar in Wichita

I was dropping off a part at Midwest Aero last Thursday and saw this old-timer mount a magneto coil using nothing but zip ties and a file. He had the engine timed perfectly in under 20 minutes, no fancy tools. Has anyone else learned a trick from watching a mechanic who's been at it 40 years?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel_hall177d ago

no way, you're serious? a whole magneto coil just zipped in place? i would've bet money that thing would shake loose or the heat would melt the ties, but if an old timer did it i guess it works. i saw a guy once rebuild a carb with a paperclip and a pocket knife in a dirt lot, but zip ties on a mag is a whole new level. honestly i'm kind of amazed he got the timing right without a strobe light, that's just pure skill from decades of tinkering.

noahmartin6d ago

Wait, you're telling me this guy timed a magneto by ear and got it right on the first try? I've seen guys spend an hour with a timing light and still be off by a few degrees.