On 7 Jun 2007 04:12:47 GMT, Jim Yanik wrote:

mm wrote in
news
On Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:15:57 -0700, wrote:

i just got a go kart that has been sitting for two years. it won't
start. i pulled the spark plug and pulled the string, no spark. i put
a new spark plug in, still no spark. i held the live wire with my
fingers to see if there was anything, and i felt a spark. however,

Then you probably had a spark.

Not one good enough to fire an engine.
YOU grab an ignition wire and see how it feels;it will zap your whole arm
and your shoulder too,if it's a good spark.
And you definitely will not want to do it again.

I figured either it was a strong spark but he didn't say so (people
are always leaving out important stuff, or he assumed spark was equal
to strong spark), or he wasn't conected to the go-cart anywhere else
so the spark felt weaker.

I got to the point where shocks from my car's spark plug wires, while
I leaned against the fender, weren't so bad that they made me pull
back my arm.

(my personal experience with MY mini-bike;it "shut off" by pushing a
grounding clip against the spark plug,and I reached under the seat to do it
without actually LOOKING at what I was doing,made contact with the tip of
the spark plug instead of the clip,and ZAP,I raised up like someone set
off a firecracker under my butt.It HURT,and I was shaky for a minute or
two.I imagine that is what being zapped with a TASER feels like.)

every time i attached it to the plug, nothing.

That's why Noozer asked what he did.

so i figure weak spark.

Oops. I missed this.

i take apart the whole string start thing on...

also, i was told it needs a new clutch. how and where is the clutch on
a go kart???

Was this two years ago? Otherwise, how could they know you need a new
clutch if the engine isn't running?

Maybe the last time they tried to use it when the engine -was- running,the
clutch was slipping.
Then they let it sit for 2 yrs,and then decided to sell it "as-is".

Maybe.