Old 3.5 HP B&S runs a few seconds and dies

[turboscrew]

It doesn't show in the picture (that's why I tried using the macro) but the contact faces of the points
were shiny and I didn't notice any "peaks" (don't know any better English word for the spark-caused
"little mountains" that tend to build up on one of the points' surfaces).

My father must have changed them before I got the engine. It's bee in my active use for about 5 years,
and before that almost 10 years on a storage room shelf.

I guess it's not too easy to find new points here. They don't look very common.
One of the points is attached on the end of the capacitor. I guess adjusting them
(no gap measure known to me) is done by adjusting the mounting position of the capacitor.

Last year I bought the last diaphragm for my carb type they had in the local B&S service.
For the points I probably have to wait a month or two. Well there is no B&S service in my home town,
but there's one in Tampere - the biggest (population about 300 000) village in Finland.
Tampere is the second biggest city in Finland and still in the whole sub-region
(Pirkanmaa - 5,586.66 sq mi, half a million people) no one sells 2-component polyurethane either!

 

[Fish]

Dang, if you get it broken down to the points/cond.... At least buff them with sandpaper and re-set the gap!!!!! Your engine will start and run a lot new carb diaphrams would make the units start and run better, but without changing them out, the units will still start and run. I am not trying to fight with you, but most of the folks here with any sense would tell you, if you had the flywheel off of a 35 year old engine, you should at least clean up and adjust the points, or even better, pop on a good used
electronic coil for $10, and never worry about the ignition again.....

 

[Fish]

Let me know, if I have a good coil laying about, I'll ship it to you, you just pay for shipping!!!!

 

[turboscrew]

How wide should the point gap be?
At least 270962 Single Cylinder L-Head BRIGGS & STRATTON.pdf doesn't say anything about the points.

 

[Fish]

What is the point gap on my engine

 

[turboscrew]

The same in all engines?! Cool!

The contact point gap for non-electronic ignition systems (typically engines manufactured BEFORE 1983) is .020"

Also, interesting page otherwise too!

Thanks, Fish!