Electricity just got confusing

Peva

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If you really want a good test for spark, use a spark plug or a spark gap tester.
Or fire the ignition while peeing on the wire. If the ignition is working, it will be immediately obvious. 🤷‍♂️ 🙀
 

StarTech

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Or fire the ignition while peeing on the wire. If the ignition is working, it will be immediately obvious. 🤷‍♂️ 🙀
OH I had a dog to test my electric once. He spent the next three hours howling everytime he moved. Nearly disable his hindquarters.
 

ILENGINE

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About 40 years ago had an old Wisconsin 7 hp engine that had been transplanted onto a Wheel Horse. This was one of old ones with the magneto style engine. Which meant that you could turn the flywheel slowly by hand and it would click. That click was a full power discharge to the spark plug.

My older brother got the brilliant idea to hang onto the spark plug wire while I cranked the engine over slowly. That thing got him 6 or 7 times before he could let go of the spark plug wire.
 

Gym123

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Or fire the ignition while peeing on the wire. If the ignition is working, it will be immediately obvious. 🤷‍♂️ 🙀

I gabbed the wires of an electric fence one. Just once. That was just about enough, for me......I also put my hand on a distributor cap AND exhaust manifold when I was working on a boat with 5.7L Chevy engine. That.Was.No.Fun.At.All.

 

slomo

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One reason why I don't use the Christmas light style spark tester. I want to see spark hop a 1/4"+ gap in free air. PET-4000 can't be beat for testing spark.

Seen several coils have weak to minimal spark. Most I can polish the coil and block mounting pads up to restore the ground. Mounting screws get rusty too. Nice blue spark again.
 

Hammermechanicman

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I have both a couple different gap type testers and a couple of the inline neon type. They are actually used differently and they tell you differet things.
 

Gym123

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One reason why I don't use the Christmas light style spark tester. I want to see spark hop a 1/4"+ gap in free air. PET-4000 can't be beat for testing spark.

Seen several coils have weak to minimal spark. Most I can polish the coil and block mounting pads up to restore the ground. Mounting screws get rusty too. Nice blue spark again.
It's a bit ironic that so many spark gap testers are open-air, since they're often used when combustible fumes are present.
 

Auto Doc's

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The plug wire terminal end is worn and making poor contact. This can get confusing due to the intermittent operation. Option one is change the terminal end to a crimp style one if you have enough lead to do that. Option two is to dismantle the machine and replace the coil.
 

mikekir

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Different motors have different coils. Mercury outboards have voltage five times other motors. Getting caught by one will bring you to your knees.
 
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