Converting a 306 A from points to electronic?

[Tldrggr]

Hi, guys. One of my secondhand Poulan 306 As took a dump internally, and I am not inclined to tear it apart at the moment. I have another that I picked up online a few weeks back. I just got the auto-oiler figured out and repaired, but it's a points/condenser machine. The "broke" one must be electronic as it has neither condenser, nor the wire that runs up under the flywheel to the points housing. My question is, can I just put the coil without the condenser & points wire on the working saw? Both flywheels appear identical, but I have not taken the flywheel nut/washer off to confirm the keyway slot is the same. Thanks for the help!

 

[Monolith]

I believe that should work, if the flywheels are the same, the magnets will line up correctly. The electronic coil removes the need for points and a condenser, so you can just leave that wiring behind. First, check that the keyway matches, set your air gap, and you’re all set.

 

[Virago]

If the keyway and mounting of the flywheel line up, you can switch out the coil. Just be sure that the timing is right and the magneto gap is set correctly, otherwise, the ignition won't work as it should

 

[Tldrggr]

Thanks for help, guys. I tackled it today, and it was one of those long, aggravating jobs that leaves you right back where you started. I removed the coil from the points saw, and noticed that the mounting slots had been lengthened to allow the correct air gap. The electronic coil required the same thing to fit, plus a little removal of the coil contacts themselves. There must/may have been a fit issue with the aftermarket coils? This was a Phelon coil... but that became a moot point anyway. I reassembled the saw enough to give it a tug, and it fired right away. I THOUGHT... I was on the way. It wasn't to be. The flywheels are identical EXCEPT in timing. The keyway is slightly different between the two. The electronic flywheel I had on hand was kind of beat up with the keyway slot "wallowed-out". So... I checked the points (they actually looked brand-new... didn't even sand them) and put the original coil back on the saw. I had already swapped carbs as I had just put a rebuilt carb on the electronic saw, before it took a dump. Ultimately, I hung the points saw in a log this evening, and it did fairly well. The bar it came with has a semi-chisel chain, so even with a fresh sharpening, it's not as fast as I'm used to. In the future, I may pick up the correct flywheel for the electronic coil... but this saw will run a while with breaker points. Thanks again!

 

[Alan]

Thanks for the thorough follow-up, those jobs really push your patience. Seems like you handled it well and picked up some useful tips along the way. I’m glad to hear it’s working again, even if it’s just on some points. Appreciate you sharing that, it’s helpful for everyone.