Need help K341s that has been sitting for few years

[953 nut 69,680]

7 hours ago, Charrie said:

Is it normal for the breaker points to stay closed for over 1/2 turn of the crankshaft?    YES, the points remain closed about 88 % of the time if they are properly adjusted to .020" at the widest opening. You will want to clean the contact surfaces using a brown paper bag or a dollar bill to remove any corrosion. I feel that the most accurate method for setting points is "Static Timing. The points gap not only induces a spark when the points first open, but the points gap sets the ignition timing for your engine. I have attached a YouTube about static timing, To find the timing marks on the flywheel I have found it helpful to wrap some sandpaper over the end of a wood dowel placed through the timing hole in the flywheel cover and turn over the engine with the spark plug removed. you may need to do this more than once to find the marks. The marks will be near the point where the crank is at TDC. When the crank is at TDC the keyway on the PTO side of the crank will also be at the top so you don't have to sand off the whole flywheel, just rock it back and forth an eighth of a turn either side of TDC.

PS,   The condenser doesn't produce spark as stated by the previous poster, It protects the points from an arc that occurs when the points open. The ignition coil primary has electrical flow through when the points are closed inducing a magnetic field in the secondary windings of the coil, the moment the points open this magnetic field collapses causing a momentary high voltage discharge to the spark plug.

7 hours ago, Charrie said:

I am thinking that i need to remove the carb and disassemble it to see what shape it is in      Good idea, start out with a total clean up of the fuel system and use non-ethanol gas to keep it that way. The disassembled carb and all its parts should be socked in a carb cleaner for several hours. The small passages that can get plugged all need to be cleaned up. You may want to find someone who already has the cleaner and some experience if you don't intend to do more than just this one carb. 

 

7 hours ago, Charrie said:

The side of the coil wire that goes into the coil was very black. The coil itself looked like new and the PO said that he had replaced it. What can cause that as it fit pretty snug into the socket? I cleaned it. My guess is that some water got into the top of the top post of the old coil and the PO never bothered to clean the wire up like you did.

 

 

[Handy Don 17,520]

Just noting here that some early S/G K181s (and possibly other engines?) predate the compression release mechanism to help with starting. Instead, they use a mechanical system to retard the spark past TDC until the engine is running. On these, a static timing check is not definitive but setting the points gap is the same. 

[953 nut 69,680]

1 hour ago, Gasaholic said:

points closed means capacitor recharging so when they pop open (usually open just a few degrees) that sudden collapse of electrical flow is discharged from the capacitor which induces the voltage in the secondary winding to produce spark.  

You may want to rethink that , the IGNITION COIL is doing that, not the condenser (Capacitor) it protects the point from an arc.