Going nuts!

[Bard1]

Still with my 18hp 1966 Fastwin. I changed out the points and condensers last week. Everything run great for three trips out. Yesterday I went out and it ran great for 1/2 the day, then I lost my upper cylinder. I pulled it apart checked everything. Tested both coils. Did a spark check, Upper cylinder seamed to lose spark and or have weak spark. Put a new coil in put it back together and tested it. Still not running. I thought maybe I changed the wrong coil. I swapped old coils , tested. Still running like crap. Still the same cylinder.

My first post on this is "stuck on land"

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Going nuts!

Did you change the spark plug wires? Including the clip & boot?

 

[Bard1]

Re: Going nuts!

Did you change the spark plug wires? Including the clip & boot?

No I did not.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Going nuts!

After swapping and replacing coils, do you now have good spark in that cylinder in the open air? Midway through you described it as weak spark, but then did stuff to the magneto. If you now have spark but still aren't running on both cylinders, it's possible you have a blown head gasket. Any evidence of water on either spark plug?
- Scott

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Going nuts!

when i use the put together wire kits, i strip back part of the wire that goes on the clip and wrap it around the clip, then install the boot, to make sure i have good contact. also, make sure the pin on the coil gets the middle of the wire.

 

[Bard1]

Re: Going nuts!

I feel stupid. I decided to switch condensers to see if somehow I had a factory defect. What I found was the wire was not tucked in all the way, and had rubbed a hole in the insulation sending the charge to the flywheel. I tapped it up, reassembled and tested. Everything ran good. On the water it ran great at high speed but had a small power loss at low speed. I'm wondering if that condenser is damaged from arcing out? Ether way for $4.00 I'll put a new a new one in.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: Going nuts!

Man, does that bring back memories! It wasn't one of the old tall ones was it?

 

[Bard1]

Re: Going nuts!

Man, does that bring back memories! It wasn't one of the old tall ones was it?

Not really, it stands up but its only 1" long. Funny thing is I've pulled everything apart soooo many times (7) I just now start to finish did it in under 20min. Now for a Quick yard test.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Going nuts!

Funny thing is I've pulled everything apart soooo many times (7) I just now start to finish did it in under 20min. Now for a Quick yard test.

Ain't that the truth.....what was that old Midas ad?..."First you get good, then you get fast"....and the corollary for many of us weekend warriors is "Once you've done it enough to get good, and fast, then you don't have to do it again for so long that you have to start again and relearn it all ....

 

[Bard1]

Re: Going nuts!

Yeah Tim I know thats true. I'm OK with not doing it for a long,long time.