My 444 with snowblower decided to die just as the biggest snowstorm of the year rolls in. Gas and battery are good. Engine turns over without problem but I have no spark. The coil is getting power. I replaced the coil with a new one from the Ingersoll dealer last summer. I replaced the condenser at the same time. I just replaced the plug and the plug wire tests fine. I hate to think this is the coil again. How do I test it? (The last coil was cracked and dripping oil so I knew that one was dead.) Any thing else I should have thought off. I really don't want to shovel! Thanks
Case 444 - no spark...and snow on the way!
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J_J
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- Power-Trac 1445, KUBOTA B-9200HST
Check for a good ground. If every thing is connected correctly, and 12v is applied, then if you short the points by rotating the engine or slide a small screw driver in between the points, and remove it, it should fire. If not, the coil is bad or the capacitor is shorted. If the capacitor is shorted, the primary side of the coil is grounded, and the points can not open the path to let the field collapse.
The purpose or the points is to ground the primary side of the coil and cause a high voltage field to build up and when the points open, the field collapse, and produces the spark for the plugs.
The capacitor is there to prevent the points from arcing to much.
Do you have a spark tester. It looks like a pointed screw driver with a neon bulb inside the clear handle to flash when a high voltage is present.
The purpose or the points is to ground the primary side of the coil and cause a high voltage field to build up and when the points open, the field collapse, and produces the spark for the plugs.
The capacitor is there to prevent the points from arcing to much.
Do you have a spark tester. It looks like a pointed screw driver with a neon bulb inside the clear handle to flash when a high voltage is present.
J_J
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I believe condenser and capacitor are the same thing.
Usually located close by the points.
Capacitor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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All these years and I never put together that they were one in the same! Turns out it is likely the points. I ask a neightbor to look at the machine and when we looked at them with better light the center was burned. We filed them down and got some spark. I am going to change them out later today. The guy at the parts place told me to make sure I set the timing. I never needed to set the timing on a Kohler motor ever and cannot find it in the manual. This guy is a bit of a character so I never know when he is kidding. Can you set the timing on a K321? If so how?
J_J
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- Power-Trac 1445, KUBOTA B-9200HST
Did you say the new points were burned? It would make sense that if the points never broke the circuit, the field would never collapse. The capacitor helps keep the points from pitting/burning. You can simulate points by touching the point wire to ground. When you take it off ground, the plug should fire. There should be another wire close by, usually white, to kill the engine.
Setting the timing may be as simple as setting the point gap first, and set the piston to TDC, and turn the point assembly to cause the points to open at TDC. Once you think you have it set, rotate the engine by hand and see if the plug fires with the piston at TDC. The manual will give you better instructions.
Setting the timing may be as simple as setting the point gap first, and set the piston to TDC, and turn the point assembly to cause the points to open at TDC. Once you think you have it set, rotate the engine by hand and see if the plug fires with the piston at TDC. The manual will give you better instructions.
It was the coil. I put a new supposedly compatible coil on and it died within 8 hrs. I put a old Kohler coil off another engine on and 20 hrs later all is still running great. Thanks for all the help. Will keep you posted.