Post by xl12rocks on Jun 19, 2012 23:41:54 GMT -5
I am sure many of you have taken a spark plug out of an engine, put the plug wire on it and set the plug on ground, then pulled the cord to see if you get a spark. Who hasn't done that?
Well I found a better way. First, I learned that a spark plug behaves differently when under compression than it does out in the open air. Your spark may look good and strong out in the open but be actually weak when installed into the engine where you can not see it.
Take an old working spark plug(not a "hot one" with a protruding inner electrode)(CJ8 would do fine)(I used a lawnmower plug) and fasten a wire onto the metal body of the plug. Soldering is very difficult. A clamp would work. If careful you could drill a shallow hole, tap it, and use a short bolt, to attach and tighten the wire on. I just wrapped wire very tight around the plug body. Put an alligator clip on the other end of the wire(perhaps 2 feet of wire). Break off the outer metal grounded electrode; the part you bend to adjust the gap.
Breaking this part off makes the spark have to jump much farther.
Now take your new tool, connect the clip to a good clean ground, pull the plug wire off the engine's spark plug(if one in the engine) and push it onto you tool spark plug.
Pull the cord and see if you have a good spark.
Breaking off the outer electrode and therefore making a larger gap for the spark to jump, makes up for the plug producing a spark more easily out of the saw. Now you know for sure that you have a good strong spark.
If you are doing this with the engine's spark plug out of its' hole then when you pull the cord gas will come out the hole and could ignite off of your tester. I stick a rag over the hole so this can not happen.
Because you have a clip on ground you also don't have to try to get the plug to lay in just the right position and contacting ground, like when using just a spark plug. You only have to position it so you can see the tool plug when pulling the starter cord.
I have used mine many times on many engines. Very helpful. FYI
Well I found a better way. First, I learned that a spark plug behaves differently when under compression than it does out in the open air. Your spark may look good and strong out in the open but be actually weak when installed into the engine where you can not see it.
Take an old working spark plug(not a "hot one" with a protruding inner electrode)(CJ8 would do fine)(I used a lawnmower plug) and fasten a wire onto the metal body of the plug. Soldering is very difficult. A clamp would work. If careful you could drill a shallow hole, tap it, and use a short bolt, to attach and tighten the wire on. I just wrapped wire very tight around the plug body. Put an alligator clip on the other end of the wire(perhaps 2 feet of wire). Break off the outer metal grounded electrode; the part you bend to adjust the gap.
Breaking this part off makes the spark have to jump much farther.
Now take your new tool, connect the clip to a good clean ground, pull the plug wire off the engine's spark plug(if one in the engine) and push it onto you tool spark plug.
Pull the cord and see if you have a good spark.
Breaking off the outer electrode and therefore making a larger gap for the spark to jump, makes up for the plug producing a spark more easily out of the saw. Now you know for sure that you have a good strong spark.
If you are doing this with the engine's spark plug out of its' hole then when you pull the cord gas will come out the hole and could ignite off of your tester. I stick a rag over the hole so this can not happen.
Because you have a clip on ground you also don't have to try to get the plug to lay in just the right position and contacting ground, like when using just a spark plug. You only have to position it so you can see the tool plug when pulling the starter cord.
I have used mine many times on many engines. Very helpful. FYI
