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"mingv" wrote in message
...
I've got a 1958 Briggs & Stratton 6B-S engine I'm trying to get running.
I seem to have good compression (thumb in sparkplug hole test). I've got
fuel dripping in the carb. I've got a new Champion J8 sparkplug gapped
to .020". Still won't start.

Two things occurred to me:

(1) the plug doesn't look wet with gas when I remove it after several
pulls on the rope starter. But I've got fuel in the bottom of the carb,
to the point where it's dripping out the hole for the air cleaner screw.
So I _think_ it's getting gas, but I'm not sure. (I've also tried
spraying the intake with "starting fluid" to no avail.)

(2) I've got a spark when I lean the plug against the head, but it seems
very weak. I think this is my problem rather than gas. I removed the
sheet metal that covers the flywheel. DOES THIS THING HAVE POINTS??? If
so, I can't find them. The spark plug wire comes out of a black thingie
that I can't seem to get into. Is this a magneto? (I don't understand
magnetoes.)

The thing that really worries me is that coming out of this black
thingie (magneto?) is a blue wire that hangs down on the outside of the
motor and doesn't connect to anything, and there's a red wire that comes
up from inside the motor case, comes up close to the black thingie
(magneto?) and DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANYTHING. Should either or both of
these wires be connected to something???

I'm at a loss. I've spent a couple of hours on the web trying to figure
this out, and been all through my "Walking Lawn Mower Service Manual"
(which only seems to deal with more recent models). My local mower shop
is closed on weekends and I'm leaving town early Monday morning. So I'm
hoping I can find some help here.

Thanks in advance!