Not getting spark, please help.

[gearnoggin]

I've got an 8243AE electric start only Lawn Boy I bought at the scrap yard that I'm trying to get running. I just finished rebuilding the carb after leaving it in an ultrasonic cleaner for several hours. Next I need to figure out why I'm not getting spark. Anyone know how to bypass the safety switch so I can rule that out? Any help is much appreciated. Here's a pic of the carb after rebuild. It's really nice how many parts it shares with Briggs and Stratton carburetors. I definitely like this carb better than the one on my 7226.

 

[Phototone]

You can just unplug the wire from the safety switch, which is just a coil grounding switch. When wire is loose, and not touching anything, if the coil is good, there should be a spark. Lawnboy mowers are well known for having coils that fail. Fortunately there are plenty of aftermarket vendors for replacement coils at fair prices. The safety switch works by grounding the ignition coil when you release the bail on the handlebars, which also engages the blade brake. When you squeeze the bail, the coil is ungrounded thus allowing for spark.

 

[guitardude1998]

not sure but it could be the cdi gone bad but im not sure if that model uses them

 

[gearnoggin]

I believe it does have a cdi because there's another coil looking thing on the other side of the flywheel. How would I diagnose a bad cdi?

 

[turfboy1997]

The other coil at the front of the motor is your charge coil which charges the battery. Essentially this is what the AE in 8243AE stands for Alternator Electric. These are my favorite of all the lawn boys. i have two of them and they will never be sold. The choke only walbro carburetor definantly meters the fuel the best of all the F series carbs and is super easy to dial in the altitude adjustment. let me know if you need to know anything else.

 

[Phototone]

If it has a safety kill switch it has a CDI type coil. They introduced the "pointless" type of ignition coil several years before they introduced a safety kill switch. Incidentially, the ignition CDI coil is totally separate from the battery charging coil you found. The battery start system is immaterial to you getting spark.

 

[gearnoggin]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I'm really looking forward to getting this thing running. It's probably gonna take over for my poulan pro push mower next year. I'll be ordering a new coil for it soon. I unplugged the ground to the coil and it still had no spark. Must have been the reason it was at the scrap yard to begin with. Btw does anyone have an extra air filter cover they don't need?