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troutbum70

Spark seems strong but a pretty orange color.

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troutbum70

Would you hands think weak coil? Bad points? Bad spark plug wire? Or combination? Made a spot today for the electro 12 where it can stay for what ever time I need to go through it, got my spark tester back and started there. Was hoping to see green. Also short video

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pfrederi

#1 Wrong Forum

 

#2 What ignition system do you have on your electro.  Could be Battery points. Magneto, Breakerless.

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troutbum70

Yes battery and points.

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wallfish

Not familiar with that particular plug tester so not sure but laying the plug on top of the engine looking at spark and seeing is believing.

Let's not forget about the condenser too.

Is this engine running?

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troutbum70

I just noticed google changed where I had stated looking for blue spark, google made it green spark. And no engine was not running, was just cranking the engine over. 

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ZXT
1 hour ago, troutbum63 said:

I just noticed google changed where I had stated looking for blue spark, google made it green spark. And no engine was not running, was just cranking the engine over. 

I believe he is asking if it runs.

 

Pull the plug and check for spark that way. A spark tester might not emit the same color spark that the plug will. You're looking for a hot blue spark. Points are obviously working, so if the spark is actually weak, I would start with changing the condenser. They're by far the most common fail point on these, especially since the majority of them are mounted upright, almost outside of the hood so that any rain it catches just stands on it. 

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wallfish

:text-yeahthat:

Most likely your plug tester isn't going to change colors with spark strength as it appears it's a bulb type and the spark is not jumping through air to a ground like the spark plug. As suggested, lay the plug on top of the engine, crank it over and look for spark on the plug itself. Leave the plug tester connected too.

Sorry for the confusion. Does this engine run? Does this engine run well or is it having issues running?

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Tractorhead

It seems for me bright enough for a usable spark, but as other mentioned there is a glimm lamp,

they sometimes in screwdrivers in for checking high Voltage systems.

this so called „testers“ are useful to see if anything of ignitionsystem seems to work, 

points &Coil but they are not very useful to see if the Spark is strong enough,

so far my experiences with that  kind of „Testers“.

 

Best is as allready mentioned put the Sparkplug onto a grounded point and Crank the Engine.

If you see a spark, it shall fire right up.

if it doesn‘t get another sparkplug and try again.

On my older Racingengines i had several times the issue out of Engine a Spark was visible but if the Sparkplug was inserted,

No spark at all because of a damage of the Sparkplug internally.

 

as allready mentioned the condenser will weakened the Spark sometimes also if they done.

The rest may be a issue of timing - if it just spit or bark shortly.

you only need three things, fuel, Air in fitting ratio and a spark at the right time to run this Engines.

 

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bc.gold

The test light is neon energy from the high intensity ignition spark excites the gas to emit light which indicated the system is live.

 

What colour is the spark at the spark plug gap, should be lighting blue, orange indicates bad condenser.

Edited by bcgold

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Tractorhead
41 minutes ago, bcgold said:

The test light is neon energy from the high intensity ignition spark excites the gas to emit light which indicated the system is live.

 

What colour is the spark at the spark plug gap, should be lighting blue, orange indicates bad condenser.

 

Edit

Missinterpreted your last post.

Edit / end

 

I just checked the way in your last sentence the Sparkcolor.

 

Edited by Tractorhead

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bc.gold
5 hours ago, Tractorhead said:

 

Edit

Missinterpreted your last post.

Edit / end

 

I just checked the way in your last sentence the Sparkcolor.

 

 

Fixed it for ya.

Using a Neon light to test your automobiles spark

 

 

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troutbum70

To start with I misunderstood my spark tester as I had never really used it before, it is a neon lamp and does not change colors. I do have an ok blue spark at the plug, and it did run but poorly. I had done a leak down test on it a while back and had a pretty good leak at the intake valve, it little into crank case which was expected and slight leak at exhaust valve. Today I pulled the carb which has its own issues, done a valve adjustment both were tight, then done another leak down still had a good leak at intake valve and about the same as previous at crank case and exhaust. So pulled the head, opinions please based on my pictures. I have not removed the valves as of yet, I can't at this point see any apparent cracks or damage. Cylinder bore is very clean, shinny, not scratch's or damage.

IMG_20200514_172542163.jpg

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bc.gold

Are you using a resistor spark plug, if so install a new spark plug if there's an improvement in engine performance  toss the old one.

 

sparkplug_tech_114.jpg

Resistor Spark Plugs

Resistor type spark plug’s incorporate an internal resistor to suppress ignition noise generated during sparking. The ignition noise which is often known as either electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI) can disrupt electronic communication signals, effecting the performance of sound systems, cellular phones, two-way radios and even engine management systems.

As EMI or RFI can also cause premature failure to other electronic components in a modern vehicle, it is important that resistor spark plugs are used to prevent this possibility.

Put simply, when a spark is formed it creates a mini-earthquake in the electronic world; the internal resistor in a spark plug filters out the noise created that may affect electrical components.

Edited by bcgold

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bc.gold
49 minutes ago, bcgold said:

 

Fixed it for ya.

Using a Neon light to test your automobiles spark

 

 

 Those neon lights are found on older electric kitchen ranges, the one below glows red only because the light resides behind a red lens.

 

The small neon are installed by pushing them into the hole, I like what the tuber did in the above video by creating an inductive coil he has able to monitor ignition spark from inside the vehicle.

 

You Horsemen could easily mount one of these small neon lights on your dash then in a heart beat would know if the ignition went into hibernation or if it was a fuel issue.

 

The light would be permanently installed and would last for years.

 

neon.png

 

 

 

Edited by bcgold

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Tractorhead

That‘s the same as i meant in my answer.

They be told here glimmer lamps.

 

You can find them here in Screwdrivers as a quickcheck if Power is on the Line

and on witch Side of the Connector the „hot“ Side is.

 

E107C7F6-CA00-4FDC-86A3-2F359E2A966D.jpeg.7dae0d02339bcd091c794242d1115eb1.jpeg

 

3C815E2C-1D2B-4CF7-8806-51E90493491E.jpeg.95149966f123dcbcf1dba5d49e683c5e.jpeg

 

And you can use them simply by put into Sparkplugconnector and tip the other side onto Ground to verify if the Whole ignition system works.

 

but as i told before it is not a real measuring of the Power.

This neon lights are acting beginning from about 60V AC.

it just shows if a spark can be initiated but absolute no realistic answer about the Poweroutput of the Coil itself.

 

For a Quick check if spark is still possible that‘s good enough.

 

 

 

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