can anyone tell me how to get my 1946 firestone 3.6hp motor to make a spark.

[edwhitson1]

i am currently trying to restore a 1946 firestone outboard motor, it is 3.6hp. it is not making a spark, and i have no idea if its the coil, condenser, or the points. how can i get it to make a spark? or what can i do to fix it? i have rebuilt everything on it exept the electrical, please help if possible, i would love to get this fossil of a motor running.

[F_R]

So how does it look? Is the coil all cracked or melted? Or is it one of those ones coated with orange shellac? The shellac ones are dang near bulletproof. If the roach bugs haven't eaten it, it probably is good.

Regardless, the very first thing you should do is clean and set the points. You have to do that, no matter what else may be wrong with it. By "clean" them, I mean CLEAN them. Take them apart and individually polish each contact shiny bright with some 400-grit waterproof sandpaper. Put it back together and adjust them so they open .020" at their widest. Now see if you have spark.

[tmcalavy]

Ditto...clean and reset the points, just don't hold the wire when you test it again.

[mrcrabs]

just don't hold the wire when you test it again.

Thats why God gave some us bother-in-laws...and then theres the wire holders union local 240v , lets not forget, thats there job.

[edwhitson1]

Here is a pic of it, now im guessing the small one is the compressor and big one the coil, but im not sure.ALMOST WINTER 367.jpg Also, at some point in time, it was at the bottom of a lake. Not sure if that would effect anything.

[F_R]

That is the great and wonderful Wico magneto with the orange shellaced coil, made before they knew how to make the crappy coils that came along a few years later. It is ok, 99.9% of the time. But take that rubber cover off it and throw it away. All it does is collect moisture and crud and short out the spark. Well, ok if you are a purist, at least peel it back and look to see if it is clean underneath.

Remove and clean those points like I told you to do!!!!! I can see the crud from here. Polish them, shiny bright, and I'll bet you will have spark. The condenser may be weak or bad, but worry about that after you get spark by cleaning the points.

[tmcalavy]

Sweet...follow FR's advice and you'll have it purrin in no time.

[cajuncook1]

That is the great and wonderful Wico magneto with the orange shellaced coil, made before they knew how to make the crappy coils that came along a few years later. It is ok, 99.9% of the time. But take that rubber cover off it and throw it away. All it does is collect moisture and crud and short out the spark. Well, ok if you are a purist, at least peel it back and look to see if it is clean underneath.

Remove and clean those points like I told you to do!!!!! I can see the crud from here. Polish them, shiny bright, and I'll bet you will have spark. The condenser may be weak or bad, but worry about that after you get spark by cleaning the points.

Frank in the picture the the poster supplied of the ignition. Is the ground wire (bare looking wire) grounded to the coil?? It looks like it is wrapped along with the primary lead going to the condenser. I could be mistaken.





Sorry if, I am mistaken.

[edwhitson1]

i took the electrical parts all apart and cleaned them all sqeeky clean, and now i got it running, so thanks so much for help, now i just got to get that carb adjusted to where it will run smooth.

[edwhitson1]

And to cajuncook1, it is hard to tell from the pic but that ground wire is screwed into the base plate with the screw that also holds the condenser down.

[cajuncook1]

Well, my friend, if you have spark, then your a ok!!! I have 1947 Scott Atwater 3.6hp and she runs great!!! Neighbor gave it to me and he got it from a friend of a friend. It had not been started in over 10yrs, but was put up right (fogged the cylinder, drained the tank and carburetor. It started up after a couple of pulls.

Good luck

[edwhitson1]

Now can anyone tell me what size nut i need for the top of the crank shaft, the one that holds the pin and cover down because i lost the first one, and now i cant figure out what size it is, and ive tried several sizes.