It hard to find a video that teach you as good as this young man does. He tell you all you need to know on changing these points. How to get to everything. Thanks so much. .
Hello there, I received a Craftsman 3.0 (tecumseh h30) from my uncle. It has been quite the fun project so far. Just wanted to say that this has been the most informative video that I have watched so far, and believe me, I have watched about 20. Thanks so much. Jeff
+sixtyfiveford I replaced the magneto, points, and condenser. still a no go. I pour a little gas in the carb and it puffs one or twice. I might need a new carb?
Thanks Man. Everything I do is self taught. I just start ripping stuff apart and putting it back together. The trick is to put it back together before you forget how it went.
In my past experience with the old points and condenser engines, 9 times out of 10 the points are not burned or wore out. I simply just file them so they mate together good and re-set them at .02 in. Then you should be good to go! I very seldem ever buy new ones. Back in the day growing up, my Dad taught me just use an old matchbook cover to set the points and although kinda crued, but it works!
Appreciate the time and effort to show this on a Tecumseh. I’m going to be getting an old Sears rototiller running again and I never worked on one of these before. Having the part #’s in your description is awesome too.
Another tip if your taking something apart that you have never done before.... take pictures with a decent digital camera as you dis-assemble the project. That way you can look at the photos to see "what" went "where" as you re-assemble. It's especially helpful when you the have to wait for special order parts to arrive days or weeks later before you start the re-assemble process. I like using my I-Pad because it has a large screen for viewing and also can take a video if needed?
Great job on the vid , just like to add if the condenser is weak or bad the points will be burnt out. The condenser controls the voltage being supplied to the points.
Thanks for the great video. I have a 1970 Fox Street Scamp with a 1969 Tecumseh HS40 with lighting coil. I have been doing a complete rebuild frame and engine. I sent the engine out to be rebuilt and it turned out beautiful. Now I need to change the points condenser and the coil. With your video any fear I had about taking this apart are gone thanks. You did not show how to change the coil. It looks like you where almost there. Thanks again,Matt
mkkmb5 I rarely change a coil as they either work or don't. They don't get weaker over time or anything like that so there's really never a need unlike the condenser and points.
This was my first try doing a "comment" it worked! I had already booked marked your tire flap trick. I'll need to drill my impeller but totally worth it. I'll find the pure"est" gas for my small engines as well. I put together rmy 1032 this weekend and I'll try to post a picture. wish me luck (with the posting a pic, JD should come together fine).
Was looking for a video on fixing a old snowblower. Here you show the very model. I need to fix (no spark). Thank for your time for making this video. Will subscribe
I really enjoy your videos..Great,great stuff. You do an excellent job of explaining and showing what you are doing. One small caveat is your camera is fizzy on extreme close ups but that's just from a guy whose eyes aren't what they used to be. Awesome job. I have an older Tecumseh H60 that someone told me to pull the top of the head off and after I get to TDC to drop it a quarters width before I set the points. I don't think he really knew what he was talking about. Thanks.
Thanks for watching. I was just on someone elses channel last night and I saw you won something(something about guessing whats in a box). And I think I saw you win something a couple months back. Congrats. -Moe
I am about to change points and condenser on a 1965 Ariens sno thro with a Tecumseh 6 HP . If your machine is like mine, I don't think I will have much trouble. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
sixtyfiveford Got them changed with no trouble...a little slow but hey it was the first time I did it....Now to figure out how to mount a new carb that has a different choke lever
Great vid easy to follow and informative. I was an ase tech for years just came across this while killing time on here. Id say someone who has basic mechanical skills could does this job by this video good job man. One tip: use a brass punch on the shaft then nothing to worry about.
Thanks so much! After watching this I went out and found the points had actually come loose and were always closed. I adjusted them and problem solved!
Thanks for the help.....great video.....I was going to replace the coil and was surprised to see a points and condenser system when I pulled it....so I got you on you tube to verify.....I am old school.....have points in my boat....and cars I have serviced years ago.....this video is a nice refresher...and also is directly the model of snowblower I am dealing with.
Just bought an Ariens Rocket V tiller. It had no spark, so I tried cleaning the points, checking the coil, condenser, points, etc. Still couldn't get a spark, so I went back into it today. I noticed that there were 2 small wires coming off of the back of the coil and both of them were connected to the condensor. It was shorting itself out, and the longer wire should have been connected to the points. Glad I pulled the coil and everything off to check the coil today, and look for corrosion betweent the engine and the coil/points housing. Now I've got spark, tomorrow I'll clean the carb.
You see , great content like this ...that teaches even us older folk is so awesome. To you sir , I say thank you. I did learn something today..I even subscribed! Have a good one..rock out
If you can find the exact Ohms the coil is supposed to be then you can test it with a multimeter. The trick there is finding out what your values should be. The condensers can be tested with a multimeter that have a capacitance setting. I bought a cheap multimeter just because it had this feature and it is able to tell. Again you need to know what the capacitance is for a give condenser(old name for a capacitor). I think that the spark plug wires attached to a coil begin to go bad.
Be careful when tightening down the nut that holds on the condenser wire because it can twist the spring on the points down so that it comes in contact with the base plate and shorts out the ignition and you won't get spark.
I never messed with a point before, but now I know what all of those little miscellaneous pieces were that I have been finding occasionally in my grandparent's stuff throughout the years. Old points and condensers. Thanks!
i have just used 20,000 all my life im 88 now so ihave seen a few as long as they open and close its ok if your point are pitting swap out the condensr you can clean the points and reuse if needed but can the condenser .
Yeah, I have noticed my camera doesn't like the close-ups. I try to remember not to do them in the videos. His method works just annoying that you have to pop the entire head off and put a new head gasket on when you're done. Thanks for watching and the kind comments. -Moe
I'm assuming yours is badged as a Craftsman and that is why your looking at Searspartsdirect. Cross the sears number to Tecumseh and there is a lot of stuff out there. The models with a magneto under the flywheel are adjustable but never go out of timing, unless someone has moved it. I do have all the specs to do it for standard Tecumsehs and I don't think because it is in a outboard it will make a difference. Do you need that info?
With the rope trick you just have to be careful to keep it out of the way of the valves or they'll bend. Make sure the piston is on the compression stroke.
If you don't have an impact gun you can stick a piece of rope down the spark plug hole to hold the piston so you don't risk damaging the flywheel or the block cooling fins. You can also put a block of wood between the hammer and the crankshaft when you try knocking the flywheel off.
I know electronic ignition is better but i still like the simplicity of the capacitor and points system, nothing much to go wrong :-) Smashing ccccold tutorial, as allways :-) Hope you got yourself back indoors and nice pot of hot coffee on the go :-)
great vid. You took me back in time on this one. LOL I think I speak for all of us here when I say we appreciate the vids and you do a great job with them. thanks for sharing
thanks for the video. saved me lots of money on possible parts to be bad. turned out my points were corroded beyond belief. after cleaning, it started on the first pull. thanks again for the video.
34852 (35545A new #) Piston, Pin & Ring Assy. (.010 oversize) 34853 (35546 new #) Piston, Pin & Ring Assy. (.020 oversize) 34854 Ring Set, Piston (Standard) (2-5/8") There are a few online places that still have the oversized kicking around on their shelf but they are not being made anymore(+-$75). With that said most of these engines wear the rings and the piston bore is still in great shape. I find just a couple second hone and original size rings ($10) and she'll be 95% new.
nice video as I was struggling to get the cowling past the gear selector assembly. Where did you get those chains for the roughly 9.5 inch diameter wheels?
Hi- I (had) an 8 hp Ariens Blower. The change for the points etc are not so simple. Points looked nothing like a shown though function surely similar. Timing was to have the points just beginning to open at 90 thousands prior to top dead center. Was quite frustrating to get set properly with an offset cylinder. Dial gauge and patience required. Cheers!.
Hello, I have a 10HP Tecumseh with the numbers HMSK100-159168U-6064Q. The Gilson snow blower it is on numbers are 55340-47846. I have kept it going for years by doing the basics.This was a throw away so no manuals. I am not even sure if the spark plug in it it correct. I like to keep it even longer it is an animal in the snow. Any ideas where I can get manuals or the specs? Thanks for any info & this video,another great job!
just replaced the points and condensers thanks to your video. I also cleaned and rebuild the card. Got it tuned and running good. but the reason why I done all this is because it would stall out when I would walk with it or throw snow so I thought if I would do what I did. It would work. nope still stalled out on my test runs. any suggestions.
Sixyfiveford. Great job!!! I enjoy all your videos. I'm about to do the same on my 1984 Toro snowblower with a H50 engine. I feel a lot better doing it after watching this video. John
Had no idea how to get the flywheel off. Absolutely great video. Had no spark. Will check points. Is it possible the coil is bad? Any way to test it? Thanks!
It is possible for the coil to go bad, but it is rare. Generally no spark issues are points/condensor related. They are a consumable wear item and should be replaced every 10 years or so. You can test the coil with a multimeter on the ohms settings. I don't recall off the top of my head what the reading is supposed to be. However the easiest way to test it is to make sure you points/condensor are cleaned or new and if you still have no spark you know the coil is faulty.
HMSK100 Horizontal Mount Snow King 10.0hp .. A king of a motor built on the March 5th 1986 (production for Gilson stopped in 1987). RJ17LM Champion A parts diagram can be downloaded at outdoorpowerdistributors com follow the Tecumseh links. For Gilson info go to gilsonsnowblowers com where a guy has a lot of cool stuff about them
Use your model number to view online parts breakdowns (outdoordistributors is a good place). This will give you your part number. Points for Tecumsehs are avaliable at 1000's of online retailers. Ebay will most likely be the cheapest with shipping. It is most likely part number 30547A for points and 30548B for condenser. Let me know how it goes.
I have a Tecumseh HM80 8hp, that had spark this summer as well as a Briggs that has points and had spark. My shed catches a lot of moisture which I need to resolve this spring. But anyway, I sanded the points on the Briggs and the spark came right back, I did it on the Tecumseh twice and still nothing. Ive noticed this in the past too, the Tecumseh's are harder to deal with when it comes to points. What is most likely my issue? I cleaned them and sprayed contact cleaner on all the areas that you can, nothing. I have new points and condensor still in the package, but before I go wasting those what is the most likely thing that caused this or went bad? Should I try cleaning them better? Putting the flywheel and cover back on and than having to take them off again is a pain in the ass...
good video ! wish i could find an old flywheel for mine as magnet fell off and broke into a few pieces, have called some repair shops and they don't have a flywheel for my hm80-155127f snowbird hate to toss it out!
I don't know what is wrong with my snowblower. It is from the 80's and probably has points. But I do get a spark at the spark plug, so does that mean the points are good or could they still be bad? So far cleaned the carb since it was leaking fuel. Got it back on and now I pull and no ignition. Going to get a can of starter fluid to see if I can at least get it running.
@@sixtyfiveford Thanks for the reply! I finally got it working today. I took the flywheel off, sanded the points with 400 grit, cleaned them with carb clean and paper, reassembled, had good spark. wouldn't start even with starter fluid, so I pulled off the carb, stuffed a rag into the intake port and soaked it with starter fluid. Fired right up, kept it running with starter fluid for about a minute. Put the carb back on and it fired right up. It just need to blow a few of the cobwebs out with the starter fluid it seems.
So many people hate Tecumseh engines. I absolutely love them and I've never had a bad one. When buying power equipment, I would only buy them if they HAD a Tecumseh. At one time, 99.99 percent of all snowblowers came with the famous Tecumseh Snow King engine including all of the major manufacturers of quality machines ie: Toro, Ariens, John Deere, MTD, Craftsman; and the list goes on and on. Tecumseh actually MADE Craftsman Lawn Mowers famous. My John Deere 826 is 32 years old and it never misses a beat. Tecumseh; they were the best. Keep the carbs clean, change oil often and at the right level, and they work and work hard. They love it. What are your thoughts?
I'm a big fan of Tecumseh. I think Tecumseh made the easiest to start and best running winter engines ever. I've never had one I couldn't make a single pull start machine even in single digit temperatures. I love their push mower engines but prefer the larger Briggs Engines on Riding mowers.
I agree 100%, especially if its on a snowblower. Only one thing, the points are harder to deal with than on Tecumseh vs a Briggs. I'm dealing with it right now. Ive dealt with it in the past too. I sanded the points on the Briggs, spark came right back, the Tecumseh no dice and they both had spark in the summer time.. Otherwise their great, even better with electronic ignition.
Great Video!!! have a question on the grounding thou. on the side of the carb, there is a linkage plate with one of the grounding wire attached. the head of it broke off and so I just stripped the casing of the wire and grounded it to a bolt of the engine. Was this not supposed to be constant grounded? I had it running before I did it but it just stopped so I figured it want the aged grounding wire. now I cant get it to run at all. Thanks for any help you can give.
I tried finding the appropriate torque for a briggs and stratton engine 250 cc on a 28 deluxe snowblower for the flywheel I torque it about 55 foot pounds is this adequate and safe enough for the flywheel nut coming off...
Nice video man, but i still have some question... If you have to set the entire coil where the 2 big screw that holds the entire thing to the engine , where would be the right point to set it up? I had to remove everything to replace the seal , i made marks to put back together but it never started after that.
Leonardo Oliveira It's actually a fairly complicated process to set it back up. But if you put it right back to where you marked it, it will be good. Did you check for spark at the plug?
i did , actually it´s brand new, I replaced all the little parts on the carburetor , new condenser, new bolts for the head, new fuel , gas line, filter , i don´t know what to do anymore
great video, I tried to fire up my 1981 toro 421 snowblower. Had no spark, replaced points and condenser and coil and still have no spark disconnected key switch and the wire going to the points for the manual kill switch and still no spark. Any Ideas? points are at .20 the new plug is .30 used a business card to set the coil to flywheel magnet. Thanks
+Steve Felts Sometimes the engine needs to rotate quit a few times to initially charge the condensor, but I'm sure you've pulled it enough times to do this. I would pull the plug and check spark with the plug out. First I would make sure the kill wire hasn't been pinched under the shroud or that it isn't grounding out somehow as this seams to one of the biggest culprits. Make sure the spark plug lead wire isn't pinched between the housing/block and shorting as well. The points if they are greasy can stop a connection/spark as well. In very rare cases I've heard of weak flywheel magnets. You should be able to hold a screwdriver a 1/2" away and feel a pull.
They were pretty pitted. I actually tried a quick clean and reassembled the motor. It ran a little rough and then the light went off in my head " I should do a video" and replace them.
I have a Ariens 8hp 1976 with a TECUMSEN ENGINE. I have no spark to the plug. After seeing your instructions I will attempt to take it apart and check the ignition spark plg and condenser . I do believe that your vidieo will help me Thanks ( Chris Eybergen)
More than likely your points contacts of corroded a little. You can pick up a set of points/condesor very cheap online. On a side note; don't remove the ignition coil, as it is a long process to retime the entire engine.
ug mold It isn't that critical but I slide a business card in between and tighten it up. Then pull out the business card and that gives it the proper gap.
Oh I guess since the video is on old Tecumsehs that is what you were referring to. I just gave generic instructions.. The old Tecumsehs are a pain and there is an extensive process if you removed it. Here is the Service Manual, you should need page 68 www.ccdist.com/_serviceManuals/tecumseh/692509.pdf
sixtyfiveford Thanks for the manual, will come in handy. What I did was loosened it thinking I was removing the condenser, probably didn't move. I filed off the pitted points and thru it back together and I have spark. Thanks again.
I've been lucky and only removed 1. I was able to see exactly where the marks of the bolts were and set it right back. It ran good so I've never went through the process.
Question: I have an old Sears/Craftsman snowblower with a 8hp Tecumseh. The plastic fins are almost all broken (although the remaining ones still move some air), and parts are hard to come by. Any ideas on how to fix this?
Good vid I'm in to the old school mini bikes I have Tecumseh, briggs & Stratton and clones but I love the older engines best. I have a 1969 HS40 Tecumseh 4hp do you know if you can get new piston for that? I want to rebuild that engine because it came on a 1970 fox street scamp and it has a lighting coil for head and taillight. any help would be awesome thanks
I have a 40 year old outboard motor with a Tecumseh engine. I don't get a spark across the spark plug when I ground it, but I can feel the slight jolt when I ground the plug and hold it by the top. Replaced coil, condenser and points 10 years ago and barely used the motor since. I can test the condenser with my electronic meter. Is it possible my flywheel magnet is too weak to provide a spark?
Hey, 65 Ford guy, does that make you a Mustang, a Galaxie, a Falcon, a Fairlane, a F100 Pick'em Up Truck, or an Econoline PU? Inquiring minds want to know? Thank you for the video about how to replace a condenser and set of points on a Tecumseh engine. This helped me out a lot. I guess since the points center pivot point is a fixed location, this would mean that the cam "timing" is non adjustable correct? I think most engines have some kind of "sweet spot" in the cam timing, where the engine is perking right along producing maximum torque due to a whole lot of other "engine things" are all working together, all at their best place in time. I think the most important thing is when the spark is advanced just enough to allow all the other important engine things to work together and do their best stuff. Case in point, search for the "hit and miss" category under the heading of Old Iron. Does my lil three Hp one- lunger Tecumseh have this spark advancement feature built into it ? When the cam follower is at the top of the cam lobe, is the piston also at Top Dead Center? The ignition spark occurs when the points are first opened, quite a while before the lobe reaches its maximum height. On my 1973 Yamaha 350, two-stroke, two banger, I set the points to where they open at so many degrees before each piston reaches it's TDC position. I'm not quite sure what setting the point gap to 0.20 thou actually does? At anything less than that magic number, what happens, do the contacts spark twice or what? What about if the gap is too big, what happens in that scenario, does anybody know? It seems like the engines spark timing must be engineered and "built into" the shape of the spark cam lobe itself? Anybody out there care to share what they know about ignition timing cam shapes? I do know that engine intake and exhaust valve timing is critical for proper engine performance, and the shape or "grind" of a cam lobe can make one heck of a lot of difference where and when the engine breathes at its very best. One last probably very dumb question, something I am too embarrassed to actually do during the day, lest my neighbors see me trying to do it and probably failing miserably shaking their heads at my utter stupidity for even trying to do it. Here goes, has anybody (probably lives on a private road) tried to use their two stage snow-thrower/blower to pick up, and (maybe?) grind up dry leaves, all the while blowing them into some sort of large breathable fabric bag of some kind, attached to the snow discharge spout? I know, I know, it's probably an insane idea to conceive it might work, let alone being something someone would be foolhardy enough to actually try to do. mrc109
+mrc109 F100 Pickup... The cam timing is fixed. You can adjust the spark timing by moving the ignition coil also by increasing/decreasing the point gap. The machine is designed for optimal dwell with a .020" gap and timed for that. If the gap gets too big you are wasting time that the system is building up spark energy for the next fire, if it is too small the spark can just the point gap. You could spend days playing with it and though on paper it may be better you would never get a noticeable power increase. The horsepower is just too small and most people are never pushing the HP to the max everytime they use it. The hit and miss engines are a different game entirely and are more rustic in their running functions. The only time a person would play with this is in racing applications and that involves much much higher rpms than these were designed to run stock. So if it is built up with all new internals and it is pushed above the stock 3600rpm, say 6000+ you will need to play with these things to get it just right. There is a video of a guy using it snowblower to throw leaved into the bed of his truck. Not very practical and I believe a standard push mower with a bag is far superior.
This is all great, but what do you do when the 8HP horizontal (generator) engine has no nameplate/model number anywhere (there is nameplate for the generator, but that says nothing about the engine), and dealers claim magneto/point replacements "do not exist"? My magneto has 3 legs, and it is set inside a hollow flywheel (with inward-facing magnets). If I could get parts lists/diagrams from a group of engines, I could have a prayer of finding replacement parts! There are also electronic replacements for points/condenser that I would like to get for my engine.
@@bpark10001 Engine ID is stamped on the very top of the pull start air shroud. It should be a hm80. Manufactures like to bolt stuff over this stamping. If it was made after the mid 80's there are no points.
I have a 1974 Tecumseh HM80 and it wasn't running right. I just did the points and condenser but I only get about an 1/8" or 3.5mm max spark length on my Lisle 20700 spark tester. Is this too weak? Do you think I need to change the coil?
this is great, I put one of these Tecumseh 10hp but same kind of points, on my log splitter, it worked for one afternoon now it won't start. The points are shiny, the condenser is rusted and looks original. is there any way to test the condenser or ignition I have a spark at the spark plug ...
Testing the condensor isn't easy, because you need a capacitence tester. Generally points and condensors are replaced together as routine maintenance. If it is rusted, water has gotten in and more than likely the points are corroded as well. Test for weak spark by holding a screwdriver(hold plastic handle) metal shaft around 1/4" away from the engine block, with the tip of the screwdriver inserted into the spark plug lead and you should see spark. This would signify a healthy strong spark.
I took a screwdriver and put the tip in the sparkplug boot and held the metal shaft of the screwdriver 1/8" away from the engine block. You should get a good spark when the rope is pulled. It had no spark. 95% of the time it's points, 4.9% of the time its condenser and .1% of the time its a bad coil.
thanks for the video. I just replaced my points and condenser in a 1967 Ariens SnoThro thanks to you. Much appreciated!
It hard to find a video that teach you as good as this young man does. He tell you all you need to know on changing these points. How to get to everything. Thanks so much. .
Thanks.
I have always really liked breaker points and nothing is better than cold videos. Talk to you soon, Moe.
Hello there,
I received a Craftsman 3.0 (tecumseh h30) from my uncle. It has been quite the fun project so far. Just wanted to say that this has been the most informative video that I have watched so far, and believe me, I have watched about 20.
Thanks so much.
Jeff
I'm glad it helped.
+sixtyfiveford I replaced the magneto, points, and condenser. still a no go. I pour a little gas in the carb and it puffs one or twice. I might need a new carb?
More than likely you have a diaphragm carb and the diaphragm is dried out. th-cam.com/video/c-dEsc74Lsw/w-d-xo.html
Hmm. Would you recommend a rebuild or new? I've found new ones for 13 dollars on ebay. Old one has no float new one does though
The diaphragm and float carbs aren't always swap-able.
Thanks Man. Everything I do is self taught. I just start ripping stuff apart and putting it back together. The trick is to put it back together before you forget how it went.
cell phone camera record before and during disassembly. no memory needed.
In my past experience with the old points and condenser engines, 9 times out of 10 the points are not burned or wore out. I simply just file them so they mate together good and re-set them at .02 in. Then you should be good to go! I very seldem ever buy new ones.
Back in the day growing up, my Dad taught me just use an old matchbook cover to set the points and although kinda crued, but it works!
Appreciate the time and effort to show this on a Tecumseh. I’m going to be getting an old Sears rototiller running again and I never worked on one of these before. Having the part #’s in your description is awesome too.
Good luck!
Another tip if your taking something apart that you have never done before.... take pictures with a decent digital camera as you dis-assemble the project. That way you can look at the photos to see "what" went "where" as you re-assemble. It's especially helpful when you the have to wait for special order parts to arrive days or weeks later before you start the re-assemble process. I like using my I-Pad because it has a large screen for viewing and also can take a video if needed?
Great job on the vid , just like to add if the condenser is weak or bad the points will be burnt out. The condenser controls the voltage being supplied to the points.
Thanks for the great video. I have a 1970 Fox Street Scamp with a 1969 Tecumseh HS40 with lighting coil. I have been doing a complete rebuild frame and engine. I sent the engine out to be rebuilt and it turned out beautiful. Now I need to change the points condenser and the coil. With your video any fear I had about taking this apart are gone thanks. You did not show how to change the coil. It looks like you where almost there. Thanks again,Matt
mkkmb5 I rarely change a coil as they either work or don't. They don't get weaker over time or anything like that so there's really never a need unlike the condenser and points.
Thanks. Your comments are always appreciated. Talk to you soon. -Moe
This was my first try doing a "comment" it worked!
I had already booked marked your tire flap trick. I'll need to drill my impeller but totally worth it. I'll find the pure"est" gas for my small engines as well. I put together rmy 1032 this weekend and I'll try to post a picture. wish me luck (with the posting a pic, JD should come together fine).
Was looking for a video on fixing a old snowblower.
Here you show the very model. I need to fix (no spark). Thank for your time for making this video.
Will subscribe
Thanks for watching!
I really enjoy your videos..Great,great stuff. You do an excellent job of explaining and showing what you are doing. One small caveat is your camera is fizzy on extreme close ups but that's just from a guy whose eyes aren't what they used to be. Awesome job. I have an older Tecumseh H60 that someone told me to pull the top of the head off and after I get to TDC to drop it a quarters width before I set the points. I don't think he really knew what he was talking about. Thanks.
Thanks for watching. I was just on someone elses channel last night and I saw you won something(something about guessing whats in a box). And I think I saw you win something a couple months back. Congrats. -Moe
I am about to change points and condenser on a 1965 Ariens sno thro with a Tecumseh 6 HP . If your machine is like mine, I don't think I will have much trouble. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Yours should be the same. I hope that this helps. Let me know how it goes.
sixtyfiveford Got them changed with no trouble...a little slow but hey it was the first time I did it....Now to figure out how to mount a new carb that has a different choke lever
Most of the time you can just pull out the entire new choke lever and replace it with the old.
Great vid easy to follow and informative. I was an ase tech for years just came across this while killing time on here. Id say someone who has basic mechanical skills could does this job by this video good job man. One tip: use a brass punch on the shaft then nothing to worry about.
Hey Thanks.
I'm going to have to do a video of something you don't already know how to do. Thanks for stopping by, -Moe
Thanks for taking the time to watch.
-Moe
Thanks so much! After watching this I went out and found the points had actually come loose and were always closed. I adjusted them and problem solved!
Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful.
Thanks for the help.....great video.....I was going to replace the coil and was surprised to see a points and condenser system when I pulled it....so I got you on you tube to verify.....I am old school.....have points in my boat....and cars I have serviced years ago.....this video is a nice refresher...and also is directly the model of snowblower I am dealing with.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
Just bought an Ariens Rocket V tiller. It had no spark, so I tried cleaning the points, checking the coil, condenser, points, etc. Still couldn't get a spark, so I went back into it today. I noticed that there were 2 small wires coming off of the back of the coil and both of them were connected to the condensor. It was shorting itself out, and the longer wire should have been connected to the points. Glad I pulled the coil and everything off to check the coil today, and look for corrosion betweent the engine and the coil/points housing. Now I've got spark, tomorrow I'll clean the carb.
You see , great content like this ...that teaches even us older folk is so awesome. To you sir , I say thank you. I did learn something today..I even subscribed! Have a good one..rock out
I appreciate that!
If you can find the exact Ohms the coil is supposed to be then you can test it with a multimeter. The trick there is finding out what your values should be. The condensers can be tested with a multimeter that have a capacitance setting. I bought a cheap multimeter just because it had this feature and it is able to tell. Again you need to know what the capacitance is for a give condenser(old name for a capacitor). I think that the spark plug wires attached to a coil begin to go bad.
Be careful when tightening down the nut that holds on the condenser wire because it can twist the spring on the points down so that it comes in contact with the base plate and shorts out the ignition and you won't get spark.
Thank you very much.
I never messed with a point before, but now I know what all of those little miscellaneous pieces were that I have been finding occasionally in my grandparent's stuff throughout the years. Old points and condensers. Thanks!
Very nice explanation and video. You really did it right and I appreciate someone who does it right and is willing to explain it
Excellent tip using the three feeler gauges, you make it look easy. I like changing points on a Kohler k series engine. Three screws and their out!
i have just used 20,000 all my life im 88 now so ihave seen a few as long as they open and close its ok if your point are pitting swap out the condensr you can clean the points and reuse if needed but can the condenser .
Yeah, I have noticed my camera doesn't like the close-ups. I try to remember not to do them in the videos. His method works just annoying that you have to pop the entire head off and put a new head gasket on when you're done. Thanks for watching and the kind comments. -Moe
I'm assuming yours is badged as a Craftsman and that is why your looking at Searspartsdirect. Cross the sears number to Tecumseh and there is a lot of stuff out there. The models with a magneto under the flywheel are adjustable but never go out of timing, unless someone has moved it. I do have all the specs to do it for standard Tecumsehs and I don't think because it is in a outboard it will make a difference. Do you need that info?
With the rope trick you just have to be careful to keep it out of the way of the valves or they'll bend. Make sure the piston is on the compression stroke.
Kevin, Thanks for watching.
-Moe
If you don't have an impact gun you can stick a piece of rope down the spark plug hole to hold the piston so you don't risk damaging the flywheel or the block cooling fins. You can also put a block of wood between the hammer and the crankshaft when you try knocking the flywheel off.
Thanks for watching. Not the same here with 25 degree high days compared to your 80 degree days.
very nice tutorial on a reliable old system. im curious how bad the contacts were after all those years?
Ok, I completed the job on my H50 Toro 1984 Snowthrower. It came out nice. Thanks For the video. John
That's great.
I know electronic ignition is better but i still like the simplicity of the capacitor and points system, nothing much to go wrong :-)
Smashing ccccold tutorial, as allways :-)
Hope you got yourself back indoors and nice pot of hot coffee on the go :-)
Thanks for video, just got 1970 ariens snowblower up and running again.
Just seen this video. I have a 67 model Tecumseh engine that runs but I want to change the points and condenser. Thanks for showing me how
Those engines run forever.
great vid. You took me back in time on this one. LOL I think I speak for all of us here when I say we appreciate the vids and you do a great job with them. thanks for sharing
thanks for the video. saved me lots of money on possible parts to be bad. turned out my points were corroded beyond belief. after cleaning, it started on the first pull. thanks again for the video.
That's great. I'm glad the video helped.
34852 (35545A new #) Piston, Pin & Ring Assy. (.010 oversize)
34853 (35546 new #) Piston, Pin & Ring Assy. (.020 oversize)
34854 Ring Set, Piston (Standard) (2-5/8")
There are a few online places that still have the oversized kicking around on their shelf but they are not being made anymore(+-$75). With that said most of these engines wear the rings and the piston bore is still in great shape. I find just a couple second hone and original size rings ($10) and she'll be 95% new.
Thanks. Do you just need a stock piston? What is the full model number and I will see what I find with my resources?
Hey thanks for watching and subbing.
-Moe
nice video as I was struggling to get the cowling past the gear selector assembly. Where did you get those chains for the roughly 9.5 inch diameter wheels?
I think the part number is "51523" for the tire chains. Google 51523 tire chains and you should find some.
Thank you. Just about to check the points on my Tecumseh rotavator, so your video helped with accessing them.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video.
Awesome video, I'm in the process of learning small engine maintenance and repair
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
Hey Thanks. Yeah, I have done quit a bit of work and old sleds.
that pointy tip on the air hammer sometimes spreads the shaft like car CV axle joints. Really messes up the axle joint. It's soft
Hi- I (had) an 8 hp Ariens Blower. The change for the points etc are not so simple. Points looked nothing like a shown though function surely similar. Timing was to have the points just beginning to open at 90 thousands prior to top dead center. Was quite frustrating to get set properly with an offset cylinder. Dial gauge and patience required. Cheers!.
Hello, I have a 10HP Tecumseh with the numbers HMSK100-159168U-6064Q. The Gilson snow blower it is on numbers are 55340-47846. I have kept it going for years by doing the basics.This was a throw away so no manuals. I am not even sure if the spark plug in it it correct. I like to keep it even longer it is an animal in the snow. Any ideas where I can get manuals or the specs? Thanks for any info & this video,another great job!
just replaced the points and condensers thanks to your video. I also cleaned and rebuild the card. Got it tuned and running good. but the reason why I done all this is because it would stall out when I would walk with it or throw snow so I thought if I would do what I did. It would work. nope still stalled out on my test runs. any suggestions.
+Justin Mandelko Your main jet is set to lean. It needs more fuel to the engine so screw the main jet out a little.
Sixyfiveford. Great job!!! I enjoy all your videos. I'm about to do the same on my 1984 Toro snowblower with a H50 engine. I feel a lot better doing it after watching this video. John
Those are great Toros. They never seam to die.
Had no idea how to get the flywheel off. Absolutely great video. Had no spark. Will check points. Is it possible the coil is bad? Any way to test it? Thanks!
It is possible for the coil to go bad, but it is rare. Generally no spark issues are points/condensor related. They are a consumable wear item and should be replaced every 10 years or so. You can test the coil with a multimeter on the ohms settings. I don't recall off the top of my head what the reading is supposed to be. However the easiest way to test it is to make sure you points/condensor are cleaned or new and if you still have no spark you know the coil is faulty.
HMSK100 Horizontal Mount Snow King 10.0hp .. A king of a motor built on the March 5th 1986 (production for Gilson stopped in 1987).
RJ17LM Champion
A parts diagram can be downloaded at outdoorpowerdistributors com follow the Tecumseh links.
For Gilson info go to gilsonsnowblowers com where a guy has a lot of cool stuff about them
Excellent video it's just what I needed to know I thank you for your time and hopefully I'll have good luck with this if not I'll be watching again
Thanks for the walk through just my speed , . Awesome job .
Use your model number to view online parts breakdowns (outdoordistributors is a good place). This will give you your part number. Points for Tecumsehs are avaliable at 1000's of online retailers. Ebay will most likely be the cheapest with shipping. It is most likely part number 30547A for points and 30548B for condenser. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks for watching and commenting. Talk to you soon.
-Moe
Is that white wire for the kill switch or does it just get grounded on the block
I have a Tecumseh HM80 8hp, that had spark this summer as well as a Briggs that has points and had spark. My shed catches a lot of moisture which I need to resolve this spring. But anyway, I sanded the points on the Briggs and the spark came right back, I did it on the Tecumseh twice and still nothing. Ive noticed this in the past too, the Tecumseh's are harder to deal with when it comes to points. What is most likely my issue? I cleaned them and sprayed contact cleaner on all the areas that you can, nothing. I have new points and condensor still in the package, but before I go wasting those what is the most likely thing that caused this or went bad? Should I try cleaning them better? Putting the flywheel and cover back on and than having to take them off again is a pain in the ass...
Generally when I've had issues like this whether Briggs or Tecumseh it has always been the condesor.
@@sixtyfiveford Thank's
good video ! wish i could find an old flywheel for mine as magnet fell off and broke into a few pieces, have called some repair shops and they don't have a flywheel for my hm80-155127f snowbird hate to toss it out!
Ebay will have them. You should be able to pick up a used one for around 30-40bucks (without electric start ring gear) delivered.
I don't know what is wrong with my snowblower. It is from the 80's and probably has points. But I do get a spark at the spark plug, so does that mean the points are good or could they still be bad? So far cleaned the carb since it was leaking fuel. Got it back on and now I pull and no ignition. Going to get a can of starter fluid to see if I can at least get it running.
Bad points you'll get a extremely weak spark or no spark at all. Good spark will be nice and bright and jump 1/4 inch gap.
@@sixtyfiveford Thanks for the reply!
I finally got it working today. I took the flywheel off, sanded the points with 400 grit, cleaned them with carb clean and paper, reassembled, had good spark. wouldn't start even with starter fluid, so I pulled off the carb, stuffed a rag into the intake port and soaked it with starter fluid. Fired right up, kept it running with starter fluid for about a minute. Put the carb back on and it fired right up. It just need to blow a few of the cobwebs out with the starter fluid it seems.
So many people hate Tecumseh engines. I absolutely love them and I've never had a bad one. When buying power equipment, I would only buy them if they HAD a Tecumseh. At one time, 99.99 percent of all snowblowers came with the famous Tecumseh Snow King engine including all of the major manufacturers of quality machines ie: Toro, Ariens, John Deere, MTD, Craftsman; and the list goes on and on. Tecumseh actually MADE Craftsman Lawn Mowers famous. My John Deere 826 is 32 years old and it never misses a beat. Tecumseh; they were the best. Keep the carbs clean, change oil often and at the right level, and they work and work hard. They love it. What are your thoughts?
I'm a big fan of Tecumseh. I think Tecumseh made the easiest to start and best running winter engines ever. I've never had one I couldn't make a single pull start machine even in single digit temperatures. I love their push mower engines but prefer the larger Briggs Engines on Riding mowers.
I agree 100%, especially if its on a snowblower.
Only one thing, the points are harder to deal with than on Tecumseh vs a Briggs.
I'm dealing with it right now.
Ive dealt with it in the past too.
I sanded the points on the Briggs, spark came right back, the Tecumseh no dice and they both had spark in the summer time..
Otherwise their great, even better with electronic ignition.
Great Video!!! have a question on the grounding thou. on the side of the carb, there is a linkage plate with one of the grounding wire attached. the head of it broke off and so I just stripped the casing of the wire and grounded it to a bolt of the engine. Was this not supposed to be constant grounded? I had it running before I did it but it just stopped so I figured it want the aged grounding wire. now I cant get it to run at all. Thanks for any help you can give.
+Edward L It's not supposed to be constant grounded. Any time this wire touches metal on the motor/frame it will kill all spark.
I tried finding the appropriate torque for a briggs and stratton engine 250 cc on a 28 deluxe snowblower for the flywheel I torque it about 55 foot pounds is this adequate and safe enough for the flywheel nut coming off...
Nice video man, but i still have some question... If you have to set the entire coil where the 2 big screw that holds the entire thing to the engine , where would be the right point to set it up? I had to remove everything to replace the seal , i made marks to put back together but it never started after that.
Leonardo Oliveira It's actually a fairly complicated process to set it back up. But if you put it right back to where you marked it, it will be good. Did you check for spark at the plug?
i did , actually it´s brand new, I replaced all the little parts on the carburetor , new condenser, new bolts for the head, new fuel , gas line, filter , i don´t know what to do anymore
So is there spark?
Go video,I've learned a lot by watching you, Thank you and keep these videos coming.
Thanks..
Great explanation. Question : What if the condenser is attached to the coil? should you replace the unit as a whole or just the points?
The condensor shouldn't be permanently affixed to the coil.
Pictures are always handy.
great video, I tried to fire up my 1981 toro 421 snowblower. Had no spark, replaced points and condenser and coil and still have no spark disconnected key switch and the wire going to the points for the manual kill switch and still no spark. Any Ideas? points are at .20 the new plug is .30 used a business card to set the coil to flywheel magnet. Thanks
+Steve Felts Sometimes the engine needs to rotate quit a few times to initially charge the condensor, but I'm sure you've pulled it enough times to do this. I would pull the plug and check spark with the plug out. First I would make sure the kill wire hasn't been pinched under the shroud or that it isn't grounding out somehow as this seams to one of the biggest culprits. Make sure the spark plug lead wire isn't pinched between the housing/block and shorting as well. The points if they are greasy can stop a connection/spark as well. In very rare cases I've heard of weak flywheel magnets. You should be able to hold a screwdriver a 1/2" away and feel a pull.
Steve Felts do not use a bis card or match book use feeler gages
Thanks for watching.
They were pretty pitted. I actually tried a quick clean and reassembled the motor. It ran a little rough and then the light went off in my head " I should do a video" and replace them.
Do you have any idea where I can find a magneto for mine they have been discontinued
Thank you! This was helpful for me, being a green horn at small engine work. Much appreciated!
Glenn Martin Thanks, I'm glad it was helpful.
Which mower is this?
I have a Ariens 8hp 1976 with a TECUMSEN ENGINE. I have no spark to the plug. After seeing your instructions I will attempt to take it apart and check the ignition spark plg and condenser . I do believe that your vidieo will help me Thanks ( Chris Eybergen)
More than likely your points contacts of corroded a little. You can pick up a set of points/condesor very cheap online. On a side note; don't remove the ignition coil, as it is a long process to retime the entire engine.
The fillips screw that holds the point. What size is that?
Thanks again, I like the 3 feeler gauge idea. How dod you set the distance from the mag to the coil?
ug mold It isn't that critical but I slide a business card in between and tighten it up. Then pull out the business card and that gives it the proper gap.
sixtyfiveford How do you do that when it is inside the Mag?
Oh I guess since the video is on old Tecumsehs that is what you were referring to. I just gave generic instructions.. The old Tecumsehs are a pain and there is an extensive process if you removed it. Here is the Service Manual, you should need page 68 www.ccdist.com/_serviceManuals/tecumseh/692509.pdf
sixtyfiveford Thanks for the manual, will come in handy. What I did was loosened it thinking I was removing the condenser, probably didn't move. I filed off the pitted points and thru it back together and I have spark. Thanks again.
I've been lucky and only removed 1. I was able to see exactly where the marks of the bolts were and set it right back. It ran good so I've never went through the process.
Thanks. Yeah the Kohlers are easier to get to.
Question: I have an old Sears/Craftsman snowblower with a 8hp Tecumseh. The plastic fins are almost all broken (although the remaining ones still move some air), and parts are hard to come by. Any ideas on how to fix this?
eBay will have your parts. The plastic shroud simply attaches to the cast iron flywheel.
You're to kind. Thanks for talking the time to watch. -Moe
This is a really great video , it helped me out a lot , hope you make more, ThankYou!
Hey Thanks.
Good vid I'm in to the old school mini bikes I have Tecumseh, briggs & Stratton and clones but I love the older engines best. I have a 1969 HS40 Tecumseh 4hp do you know if you can get new piston for that? I want to rebuild that engine because it came on a 1970 fox street scamp and it has a lighting coil for head and taillight. any help would be awesome thanks
I have a 40 year old outboard motor with a Tecumseh engine. I don't get a spark across the spark plug when I ground it, but I can feel the slight jolt when I ground the plug and hold it by the top. Replaced coil, condenser and points 10 years ago and barely used the motor since.
I can test the condenser with my electronic meter.
Is it possible my flywheel magnet is too weak to provide a spark?
More than likely the points are tarnished from moisture in the air. Run a fine piece of sandpaper between them and you should be good to go.
Hey, 65 Ford guy, does that make you a Mustang, a Galaxie, a Falcon, a Fairlane, a F100 Pick'em Up Truck, or an Econoline PU? Inquiring minds want to know?
Thank you for the video about how to replace a condenser and set of points on a Tecumseh engine. This helped me out a lot. I guess since the points center pivot point is a fixed location, this would mean that the cam "timing" is non adjustable correct?
I think most engines have some kind of "sweet spot" in the cam timing, where the engine is perking right along producing maximum torque due to a whole lot of other "engine things" are all working together, all at their best place in time. I think the most important thing is when the spark is advanced just enough to allow all the other important engine things to work together and do their best stuff. Case in point, search for the "hit and miss" category under the heading of Old Iron.
Does my lil three Hp one- lunger Tecumseh have this spark advancement feature built into it ? When the cam follower is at the top of the cam lobe, is the piston also at Top Dead Center? The ignition spark occurs when the points are first opened, quite a while before the lobe reaches its maximum height. On my 1973 Yamaha 350, two-stroke, two banger, I set the points to where they open at so many degrees before each piston reaches it's TDC position.
I'm not quite sure what setting the point gap to 0.20 thou actually does? At anything less than that magic number, what happens, do the contacts spark twice or what? What about if the gap is too big, what happens in that scenario, does anybody know? It seems like the engines spark timing must be engineered and "built into" the shape of the spark cam lobe itself?
Anybody out there care to share what they know about ignition timing cam shapes?
I do know that engine intake and exhaust valve timing is critical for proper engine performance, and the shape or "grind" of a cam lobe can make one heck of a lot of difference where and when the engine breathes at its very best.
One last probably very dumb question, something I am too embarrassed to actually do during the day, lest my neighbors see me trying to do it and probably failing miserably shaking their heads at my utter stupidity for even trying to do it.
Here goes, has anybody (probably lives on a private road) tried to use their two stage snow-thrower/blower to pick up, and (maybe?) grind up dry leaves, all the while blowing them into some sort of large breathable fabric bag of some kind, attached to the snow discharge spout?
I know, I know, it's probably an insane idea to conceive it might work, let alone being something someone would be foolhardy enough to actually try to do.
mrc109
+mrc109 F100 Pickup...
The cam timing is fixed. You can adjust the spark timing by moving the ignition coil also by increasing/decreasing the point gap. The machine is designed for optimal dwell with a .020" gap and timed for that. If the gap gets too big you are wasting time that the system is building up spark energy for the next fire, if it is too small the spark can just the point gap. You could spend days playing with it and though on paper it may be better you would never get a noticeable power increase. The horsepower is just too small and most people are never pushing the HP to the max everytime they use it. The hit and miss engines are a different game entirely and are more rustic in their running functions. The only time a person would play with this is in racing applications and that involves much much higher rpms than these were designed to run stock. So if it is built up with all new internals and it is pushed above the stock 3600rpm, say 6000+ you will need to play with these things to get it just right.
There is a video of a guy using it snowblower to throw leaved into the bed of his truck. Not very practical and I believe a standard push mower with a bag is far superior.
This is all great, but what do you do when the 8HP horizontal (generator) engine has no nameplate/model number anywhere (there is nameplate for the generator, but that says nothing about the engine), and dealers claim magneto/point replacements "do not exist"? My magneto has 3 legs, and it is set inside a hollow flywheel (with inward-facing magnets). If I could get parts lists/diagrams from a group of engines, I could have a prayer of finding replacement parts! There are also electronic replacements for points/condenser that I would like to get for my engine.
What brand of engine is it?
@@sixtyfiveford Tecumseh. I know it is 8HP, horizontal crankshaft, driving 4KW generator.
@@bpark10001 Engine ID is stamped on the very top of the pull start air shroud. It should be a hm80. Manufactures like to bolt stuff over this stamping. If it was made after the mid 80's there are no points.
So could the points be cleaned or should they always be replaced with little or not spark? If so do you just sand down the points?
The majority of the time they just need some very fine sand paper ran across the points contacts.
sixtyfiveford thanks! Keep up the great videos you're definitely an asset to the TH-cam DIY community
I have a 1974 Tecumseh HM80 and it wasn't running right. I just did the points and condenser but I only get about an 1/8" or 3.5mm max spark length on my Lisle 20700 spark tester. Is this too weak? Do you think I need to change the coil?
The coil either works or it doesn't work. 1/8 of an inch should suffice just fine for these low compression engines.
Awesome buddy ... Just what I was looking for .
Thanks for the help
Glad it helped.
this is great, I put one of these Tecumseh 10hp but same kind of points, on my log splitter, it worked for one afternoon now it won't start. The points are shiny, the condenser is rusted and looks original. is there any way to test the condenser or ignition
I have a spark at the spark plug ...
Testing the condensor isn't easy, because you need a capacitence tester. Generally points and condensors are replaced together as routine maintenance. If it is rusted, water has gotten in and more than likely the points are corroded as well. Test for weak spark by holding a screwdriver(hold plastic handle) metal shaft around 1/4" away from the engine block, with the tip of the screwdriver inserted into the spark plug lead and you should see spark. This would signify a healthy strong spark.
Thanks! Is there anyone on line who you know carries this kind of condenser and points?
Yes, the points and condesor for these are very common and can be found online. If you look in the video description I have a link.
I took a screwdriver and put the tip in the sparkplug boot and held the metal shaft of the screwdriver 1/8" away from the engine block. You should get a good spark when the rope is pulled. It had no spark. 95% of the time it's points, 4.9% of the time its condenser and .1% of the time its a bad coil.
do you have a video that shows how to replace the engine on a troybuilt junior rototiller???
Sorry but I don't. It should be just 4 bolts holding the motor on and then the pulley.
Great job Buddy, You ever work on old snowmobile engines ?
excellent tip on how to set the points for those of us that don'thow
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video.
I been asking for this thanks . Do they make a electronic conversation kit ?
love your vids did you figure out what happened to your mower
Great video, learned as lot. Enjoyed the no nonsense approach. Thanks for sharing. Will subscribe
Thanks, I'm glad you liked it.
Put more lights on next time. Thanks for the help
Changed the points, condenser, and coil still no spark any idea? Thanks Fred
Make sure the grounding wire isn't touching the frame anywhere. It's best to completely disconnect it from under the carb for testing.