poor mans spark plug wire tesater

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
i was wondering if this was a reliable spark plug wire test!!!!!
start the engine. touch each plug boot.ouch #1 shocked me 2 and 3 did not shock me and #4 shocked me.if you read responses to my compression test thread you might know why. does this mean i burnt out 2 of my coil packs????also when i pulled the plugs smoke only came out of 1 and 4!ha ha ha wa wa wahhh
 

baxtr

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
387
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

you can get cheap inline testers at autoparts stores, I wouldn't use the "bodily harm" method of spark testing :)


hope they aren't fried

Good luck
 

burroak

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
651
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

i was wondering if this was a reliable spark plug wire test!!!!!
start the engine. touch each plug boot.ouch #1 shocked me 2 and 3 did not shock me and #4 shocked me.if you read responses to my compression test thread you might know why. does this mean i burnt out 2 of my coil packs????also when i pulled the plugs smoke only came out of 1 and 4!ha ha ha wa wa wahhh

Boss, if you can take the current coming out of that spark plug wire, you have bad coils or you are the toughest S.O.B. in the valley.:D
 

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

well it shocks ya pretty good but they are still plugged to the plugs and im just touching the back of the boot real quickly. my lawnmower one only shocks me sometimes.thats how i have to stop it because the safety handle/stop bar doesnt work. i just went to napa and they didnt have spark plug testers.thats the only place open today so ill be waiting till tommorrow to test them.how much do the coil packs cost?:(
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

We have all been shocked by accident now and then. It really gives you a thrill. However, you do realize that given the correct circumstances and given the correct path, that voltage can stop your heart. Then, too late, your wife will be calling 911. Not a good idea to do it regularly--no matter how tough you are.

And for you naysayers out there: I know it is the amperage not the voltage that kills, however, all hospitals are set up so their receptacles do not leak even milliamp levels. They do it for a reason.
 

newbie4life

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
410
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

Ah, this voltage would never hurt you. I've been 'nailed' probably 60-70 times. Never hurt me.

By the way, the voltage wouldn't bother much. I've been zapped about 15-20 times. It doesn't really bother.

For what it's worth... the spark doesn't hurt that bad. I've been hit close to 100 times, and you'd never know it.


Maybe tomorrow, I'll buy a spark tester. :D
 

jkp1

Cadet
Joined
Aug 19, 2007
Messages
20
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

Doesn't electric shock cure depression? I often get shocked working on engines and always feel better when the job is done.:)
 

4runneradam

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 7, 2007
Messages
203
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

Ah, this voltage would never hurt you. I've been 'nailed' probably 60-70 times. Never hurt me.

By the way, the voltage wouldn't bother much. I've been zapped about 15-20 times. It doesn't really bother.

For what it's worth... the spark doesn't hurt that bad. I've been hit close to 100 times, and you'd never know it.


Maybe tomorrow, I'll buy a spark tester. :D


Sounds like the damage is already done! :)
 

section8

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
120
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

oh man you guys are hilarious! im answering my own question. no this is not a valid way to test plugs/wires! i bought a tester for 11.23 and it says all wires have spark through 'em and my bio-test said 2 werent firing! Hope i helped anyone else who might try this the cheap way!!!
 

burroak

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 29, 2007
Messages
651
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

In the interest of being serious, the following is a reprint of a post by Joe Reeves from another forum. The added point that the quote makes is: the quality of the spark is much more important than the presence of a spark.

" ....the ignition (spark) but apparently by simply using the spark plugs? If so, this is no test as spark will jump the very small plug gap when the plug is in open air BUT it may not jump that gap when under compression.

The spark must be a strong blue lightning like flame.... a real SNAP!

To test the spark properly, you must use a 7/16" gap at cranking speed with the spark plugs removed. You can easily make such a spark tester as follows:

Spark Tester - Home Made
(J. Reeves)

A spark tester can be made with a piece of 1x4 or 1x6, drive a couple nails through it, then bend the pointed ends at a right angle. You can then adjust the gap by simply twisting the nail(s). Solder a spark plug wire to one which you can connect to the spark plug boots, and a ground wire of some kind to the other to connect to the powerhead somewhere.

Using the above, one could easily build a spark tester whereas they could connect 2, 4, 6, or 8 cylinders all at one time. The ground nail being straight up, the others being bent, aimed at the ground nail. A typical 4 cylinder tester follows:


..........X1..........X2

.................X..(grd)

..........X3..........X4

The compression mentioned (10psi difference), low reading on top cylinder, would indiate to me that either the engine has been run with a fouled top carburetor (cylinder running lean), or the ignition being weak on that cylinder.

Let us know about the spark, with it being tested with the 7/16" gap."
 

baxtr

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
387
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

Very nice re-post Burroak
 

Scaaty

Vice Admiral
Joined
May 31, 2004
Messages
5,180
Re: poor mans spark plug wire tesater

All I use is a simple wire, 2 big electrical clamps connected to the ends, one around the body, other to ground,..have a couple fresh plugs set at 3/8 gap, 1/4 gap..etc. Crank or yank......
 
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