On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 09:44:30 -0500, "Bill Darby"
wrote:

My neighbour asked me to see if I could get his Sears snow blower
going. Had a good mild day so I went at it in two feet of snow in his
back yard. First, there is plenty of gas but no spark to speak of just
a tingle when I complete the cct between the plug wire and ground.
Seems as if there might be a short to ground or magneto problems.

Are there any really common faults to look for?

Check the points first. As long as you are checking them you might as
well clean them even if they look clean. Even a very thin coat of oil
can lead to weak spark. Check the clearance between the magneto and
flywheel if the magneto is on the outside. If it's a briggs make sure
the little rod that pushes on the points moves freely. If all these
check out then the magneto coil may have moisture in it. Bake in the
oven at about 200 degrees for a couple hours. Then just turn off the
oven and let the coil cool in the oven. It sounds crazy but after I
was told about this I rescued several magneto coils.
ERS