> > Somewhere in the process, I dropped a small quarter inch lock washer. It went down behind the air shroud, and I assumed it wound up on the floor. No such luck. It stopped on the bottom of the magneto which of course is magnetic.
>
> Since also the Cessna 172 I use for flight school has magnetos, I'm wondering if scooter engines are designed after airplane ones or viceversa... in the second case, how am I supposed to bump start the airplane if the engine quits? :)
>
> Regards.

Cushman used a magneto long before the 172 was built. It's interesting that scooters only have one while airplanes have two. I guess a backup in more important when you are at 9000 feet.

I think I'll do some research on magnitos and see how long they have been in use. Maybe a hundred years?
Howard