212 cc predator engine has almost no spark

fishhead · #1 04/26/15, 07:14 PM

Last spring I replaced the old engine on my tiller with a new Predator 212 cc engine. It started great and ran perfectly the first few times I used it. Then it sat for a month or so. It started a little hard that time but ran good. Then last fall I tried to start it and I couldn't.

I just replaced all the gas with new gas in case the carb was gummed up but still nothing. On a hunch I pulled the plug and I see almost no spark the first pull and then nothing. I twist the plug in the wire socket and get a single weak spark and then nothing.

It got rained on a couple of times last summer but the engine looks like it just came out of the box. The plug looks new except it's wet and drying it on the stove doesn't help.

I've flipped on the on-off switch several times thinking that maybe it's got a bit of corrosion in it but it doesn't help.

Any suggestions?

nosqrls · #2 04/26/15, 07:44 PM

the on off switch should just ground it to shut it off try taking it out of the loop . had one fill with water and act like a weak short.

fishhead · #3 04/26/15, 08:28 PM

It turns out that it was lower on oil than I thought. I checked the oil by tipping it slightly and saw oil but evidently it's not enough. It's got a low oil shut off. I won't make this mistake again.

I added a bit of oil and it fired right up.

HermitJohn · #4 04/27/15, 04:01 AM

Another apparently common no spark problem on clone engines is corrosion developing where magneto coil bolts down. I have had this happen on my lawn mowers with clone engines couple times. First time I thought it was bad magneto coil. I had another clone lawn mower engine, swapped coils, voila, started right up. Since cheapest replacement parts for these are on ebay via long boat ride from China, I put what I thought was faulty coil back onto the second engine so bolts and parts didnt get scattered. Just as afterthought decided to properly mount and gap it and tried starting that engine. Started right up. Wasnt the coil, it was corrosion which I disturbed swapping around the coils.

fishhead · #5 05/10/15, 01:59 PM

I've used the tiller several times now and it starts the first pull every time. I really like that.

seagullplayer · #6 05/13/15, 09:24 AM

I just put that same engine on my mother's tiller last weekend.
I was very impressed with it. HF had it on sale for $119 then with a 20% coupon,
it was a real bargain.

And gave her dead tiller a new spark! Glad to hear about the low oil shut-off.
If my mom's old tiller had that feature it would have saved her an engine.