On Sat, 1 Sep 2012 12:57:03 -0700 (PDT), klem kedidelhopper
Greetings Lenny,
The electronics in the coil are probably bad. If you try the test
suggested further down this thread and there is still no spark then it
is very likely the electronics are bad. I have seen some coils that
have the trigger electronics located in a bump on the coil. These
types can sometimes be removed and replaced with aftermarket
electronic ignition modules. It has been a long time since I've done
this so maybe this won't work for you. The magneto works like this:
the primary is grounded and the magnet passes quickly past the legs of
the magneto assembly. At the proper moment the ground is disconnected
and the collapsing field induces a voltage in the secondary. The
aftermarket electronic ignitions sense the rising voltage and open the
ground connection at the proper moment. So if you can get to the
electronics and remove the connections, then figure out which wires
are which, you can then maybe use an aftermarket module to make the
thing work. Briggs and Stratton used to make an electronic ignition
that worked differently than described above. It had some sort of coil
that sensed the flywheeel position(Ithink). I never tried to hack one
of those, just replaced parts. But I have repaired a few of the types
described above. I have even just wired in an aftermarket electronic
ignition on a weed trimmer that lost spark. The ignition module was
made for a Tecumseh engine but since I had it already I just wired it
the way I would have if I was retrofitting a points type ignition. The
weed trimmer unit had obviously failed with the ground permanently
connected and since the new module opens the ground to get spark it
worked fine. If you don't mind a shock you can try what I do. I grab
the spark plug wire and pull slowly on the starting rope. If I don't
get even a tingle then I pull faster. If I get a good shock then that
means either a bad spark plug or bad connections. If I just get a
pretty good tingle then that probably means that the coil is being
permanently grounded and I'm feeling the rising field. This is hopeful
because it means that maybe an aftermarket ignition module will work
since they just interrupt the ground. Whew! I didn't think this reply
would be so long.
Eric