Raider 12 Won't Spark

[CTPhil 53]

I'll apologise in advance, electrical stuff isn't one of my strengths.

My new to me Raider 12 came with "it ran when it was parked 2 years ago". The battery is a brick, so I took it out and attached a jump box. No spark to the plug, but the engine turns, somewhat slowly.(Only 10 volts at the starter). There is voltage to the positive side of the converted can type coil, and sometimes from the tower, none on the negative side, No spark or voltage at the points, but I managed an occasional very weak spark when opening them with a screwdriver, at least I don't think it was my imagination. I put in new points, no difference, and also tried a new spark plug.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

[groundhog47 347]

Check timing, coil, leads, condenser,and flywheel keyway. I unwired condenser, with no spark jumpin' point gap b4, and got spark unwired (you said you got one though) . Can't run like this though. To check flywheel key (if Kohler) without removal watch point opening and see if coincides with timing mark( if Kohler)(shear is prob rare but mine did), I believe B&S on nearly all is presettiming, not sure. Onan don't know, Tec, used to set under flywheel, unsure on large models. Check out leads with ohm meter if suspect rodent chew or mechanical disruption of continuity> coil should get an intermittent or no fire, and could check continuity (may or may not work to tell). Last any known good parts on something runnin' swap one at a time (time consumin' and old fashioned but works) 'course you may inadvertantly clear a high resistance ground makin a poorly grounded part (coil, points, condenser) look bad when you just cleared away something blockin' ground (varnish, paint, rust,ect). Hope some of this helps, had almost same problem on two engines and all the above were indicted.

[AMC RULES 37,180]

Did you replace the battery with a known good one?

[CTPhil 53]

Did you replace the battery with a known good one?

No, I haven't, just the jump box, and honestly I'm thinking it's starting to get weak. It does spin my Gravelys over OK though.

Where would the condenser be on this machine?

[Kelly 1,033]

The condenser should be bolted to the neg side of the coil, with out one you will have a very weak spark, be sure the body of the cond. is grounded good.

[CTPhil 53]

There isn't one there, should I try adding one?

The engine looks like it was converted to an external coil, could there be a condenser hidden somewhere else? There are a couple of abandoned wires coming from under the flywheel cover, one a spark plug lead, that have been just tied off. Should that have been done in a better way?