Gravely 7.6 super - NO SPARK

[GJosh]

Having trouble getting my gravely 7.6 superconvertible to start. With an inline spark tester grounded to the negative of the battery I can get a very strong spark showing. If I run it in line with the plug I get nothing. If I take the plug out and try to ground the plug anywhere on the machine, I get nothing. I've tried several different plugs thinking it must be a bad plug but still nothing.

What am I missing? It has got to be something simple.

Thanks for your help

 

[GJosh]

Here is another curious fact: If I run the spark tester in line to the top of the plug (as one would normally due) there is no sign of spark.

If I touch the end of the tester to the base of the plug it lights up like christmas!

Any thoughts on that???

 

[oldmech]

Hi! Check first the wiring to ground with no sparkplug. Inside magneto. They are a breaker point set. Clean or remove carbon with a file. The point set must be bright. Then adjust to .015 in. Good luck! Oldmech

 

[RalphVa]

I once set the breaker points to 0.020" that they're supposed to be. No spark. Set closer, think it was around the 0.015" recommended above. Spark, and it started.

Won't get a spark if the points never close.

Ralph

 

[GJosh]

Success. Must have been the breaker. I cleaned everything with an emory board, "adjusted" the breaker (not really knowing how) to 0.015 as suggested, and lo and behold, it fired right up! Thank you all for your help.