Explain this!

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

I saw this on OCC and thought it was interesting enough to post it here.

Watch this video first:

and then read below:

The man said its the original head. It still has the one and only original spark plug hole. Original block. Original Piston. New rings but factory ordered. Original Carb and stock air breather. I asked if the head bolts were original and he said he had to replace them due to the amount of times he removed the head, he stretched the bolts. I also picked the engine up off of the blue bin it was sitting on to make sure there was nothing under it. It was attached soley to the wood board it was sitting on. The blue tub was just a "table". He said it can run all day. Ready to go onto a go-cart or a tiller. Ready to do whatever you want. It just doesnt need the spark plug.

You can see in the video he has another head laying there strictly just for examination so you could see how it would be nearly impossible to add another plug through the side or top.

I believe he answered all of the questions honestly. There was only one thing he wouldn't let us do and that was look down into the cylinder through the spark plug hole. Obviously whatever he has inside the engine that makes the "spark" is visible through that hole but he wouldn't let us see it and he wouldn't tell us what it is.

The commentary above was from the original poster at OCC and are not my comments.

[SALTYWRIGHT 859]

MY 417-8 RUNS WITHOUT A SPARK PLUG. (IT IS A DIESEL NOW) RUSS

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

It is running on gasoline. Diesel usually has a higher compression ratio than a gasoline, so that rag covering the spark plug hole would have blown off.

[DoctorHfuhruhurr 132]

I would think an ignition source could be mounted to the piston head from underneath.

[nylyon-(Admin) 7,121]

I know the answer and as soon as TT posts here I'll just agree with him :woohoo:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

I also be interested in what TT has to say. I know I'm far from being anything close to being an expert, but we do have several that has some know how here. I also be interested in their comments.

[rmaynard 14,911]

Here is my theory.

That does not look like an original head. There are also some extra tins on the sides.

I think he has two heads. The hole in the top head is just an extra exhaust port. That's why you can remove the plug and the engine doesn't stop or even change speed, but the rag burns. The real plug or igniter is tapped into the side of the real head and covered by the fan shroud. The metal plates disguise the fact that there are two heads.

[Gerry w 2]

Is the heat from the head causing the gas to spark? It seemed very hot. ?? Really interesting and thanks for posting it.

[SousaKerry 500]

Why that's not a briggs engine it's a railroad engine

ya know the

Norfalkin Way :woohoo:

[mavfreak 11]

the ignition is wired into the head and the spark is arking inside the cylinder. Also the head is on so the plug hole is over the valves instead of over the piston.

Thats my guess

[Coadster32 793]

Bob's theory make sence to me. (I'll be watching this post either way though.)

[CasualObserver 3,406]

Fascinating for sure. Here's another one on what looks like a little Briggs 5S. Maybe the same guy? This one he stops by touching the coil wire to the stopper on the head and restarts it without the spark plug. I'm guessing some sort of mechanical driven electronic ignition... but without the carb and fuel tank? Got something hidden somewhere.

[SousaKerry 500]

cold it be running on compressed air

[Horse'n Around 22]

I was thinking the same thing Bob about an igniter or glow plug like thingie hidden inside somewhere. I cant speak about the head being the right one or not, but when he removed the spark plug and it lost that compression it hardly missed a beat so something is definitely up because that doesn't happen.

[shorts 182]

no spark, no compression, no run.

I'm suprised that he left the carb on it, an engine only requires 3 things, compression fuel and spark. probably a billet shim head with a model airplane plug in the side under the tin.

[puddlejumper 67]

I have to admit that it will cause you to scratch your head. but there almost has to be another head of somesort under the one you see. and the "compression" you here him lose through the plug hole is exhaust from the head underneath

[Kai Thomsen 17]

Looks to be a 5hp briggs.. iirc the crank should fit from the smaller 3 or 3.5hp engine, only with a shorter stroke.. leaving lots of room for an ekstra head inside, and a small model engine sparkplug thru the side, hidden under the blower housing.

[stevasaurus 22,234]

You guys...everyone knows that you only need a flux capacitor. Boomshakalaka. :D

[312Hydro 473]

You guys...everyone knows that you only need a flux capacitor. Boomshakalaka.

and 88 mph! with lightning :P

[MikesRJ 552]

1.21 jigawatts!

[littleredrider 408]

The head doesn't look right. It hangs over too much opposite the exhaust. maybe it was just the poor video/quality, but the motor didn't sound "right". Something has been done, it's impossible for a gas motor to run without a spark plug. It's getting spark from somewhere else.

[jtmoyer 1]

ever try to take a spark plug wire off a running motor? there is no way he could have grabbed the wire if the wire if it was connected to the magneto. so now we know the magneto has to be hooked up some ware... go out to your tractor take the plug out and have someone turn it over while you hold a rag over the hole. 120 to 150 psi is not going to be held in place with a rag and your hand.

so now you know that can't have been the spark plug hole. :woohoo:

[T-Mo-(Moderator) 4,345]

Rest assured this video is real - nothing has been altered on the video. The camera guy was a member of OCC. Also the engine owner says there is no other head on this engine - just the one.

[smoreau 658]

ever try to take a spark plug wire off a running motor? there is no way he could have grabbed the wire if the wire if it was connected to the magneto. so now we know the magneto has to be hooked up some ware... go out to your tractor take the plug out and have someone turn it over while you hold a rag over the hole. 120 to 150 psi is not going to be held in place with a rag and your hand.

so now you know that can't have been the spark plug hole.

There has been some modification to this engine and the guy has done this to make a lot of people jtmoyer is right and there is more then meats the eye. This guy likes attention and making people think for his own pleasure at a camp ground. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with what he has done, he just wanted a talk piece. there is most likely a small hole drilled through the head or block that has a electrode inside it for the spark. as for the spark plug hole, has to be plumed to the exhaust as there was no change when the rag was removed and he was trying to start the threads of the broken spark plug. that would have been bouncing up and down from the compression if it was a normal engine. It is neat that someone took the time to make this modification to something that will never be more then a talk piece. but if that's what he wanted, more to him. Just look at the facts on how a combustion engine runs. That's my 2 cents

[Gene_S 93]

His first mistake was showing that there was no spark to shock him. If you want to make it look real he needs to pretend to be shocked at least.