1980's Briggs

bwalbert · Jan 25, 2020

I've got a 16 hp single cylinder horizontal shaft cast iron engine. It will not fire. I've changed points/condenser, cleaned flywheel magnets and installed new ignition coil. The flywheel magnet holds a screwdriver, so I'm assuming the magnet is alright. Before all those attempts at repair I've had what I would call a weak spark across the spark plug tester but no visible spark across plug gap! I've still got the same problem! Any suggestions? Thanks

Bob · Jan 25, 2020

New points can have a non-conductive coating, with points "open", clean with electrical contact cleaner, allow to air-dry, then with points "closed" burnish them with a strip of clean white cardstock, open them and blow away any dust and fuzz with clean dry air.

New condensers can be bad "out of the box", unless an old one is proven bad, there's nothing gained by replacing it.

Is "air gap" set properly? A common business card works great for that.

Check that nothing is grounding out the low-tension side, in the points area, at the connection stud for the "kill" wire, and the wire to the coil.

Is anything connected to the "kill" terminal that could be draining off potential spark energy?

On some Briggs engines, it's possible to install the coil "flipped" with respect to which side faces the engine, or for that matter to install an incorrect coil. (Briggs calls 'em "armatures".)

For that matter, you didn't happen to install a coil set up for "E.I." with your breaker points setup?

Wouldn't have cost any more to have posted the engine model # and the coil part number, for that matter.

old · Jan 25, 2020

As Bob said an also I have had more then one where the shut down wire hook up to short out and kill the spark. Remove the wire from its clip and check spark

bwalbert · Jan 25, 2020

Thanks for the suggestions Bob. The engine is model# 326437, Type 0688-02. Don't know the engine s/n as I couldn't find name plate or other ID. Got the model# etc. from hand written notes on manuals I received with the purchase. It's in a Power King tractor.
A little more background. I bought this engine not running late in 2018. Points/ condenser were jury rigged. I cleaned and rebuilt the carb and installed the correct points/condenser. I actually got it running late fall. Ran it a few times, pressured washed it and then put it away for the winter. In spring 2019 it wouldn't fire. Been working on it very occasionally since then.
Installed second set points/ condenser in spring and coil since then. I used feeler gauge (believe .020) on the points and separate feeler gauge (believe .013) on both legs of coil.
I will check for a short as the wiring around the points looks to have been jury rigged too.

Thanks again

MNGB · Jan 25, 2020

That engine is very easy to convert to battery ignition, you could do a simple test conversion, disconnect the wires coming from the mag coil get a automotive coil connet the + terminal of the coil to the battery connect the - terminal of the coil to the point /
condenser crank the engine and check for spark if you have good spark the mag coil is bad if still no spark check the points
GB in MN

1980's Briggs

bwalbert

New User

Bob

Well-known Member

old

Well-known Member

bwalbert

New User

MNGB

Well-known Member

Similar threads