If it sat for 8 years and you did not clean and reset the points then it is most likely running on one cylinder and you are lucky to be getting the one.
Right now that is just a guess so do a cylinder drop test in the barrel. Start it up and let it get warm. Bring it to a fast idle and with a...
Put a few teaspoons of pre-mix gas into each cylinder, put the the spark plugs back in and pull on the starter a few times. The motor will either start and stall, once it burns through the gas. Start and run fine or you will get no response from it at all.
If it starts and stalls you most...
I am assuming that what you did with your reversed wires is send the ignition spark from the powerpack under the flywheel to the wrong secondary coil/spark plug lead. If this is the case, when the powerpack thought it was sending its ignition spark to the top cylinder, precisely when it was at...
In Summary for future reference:
When you motor doesn't start, put a little fuel in the cylinder holes and if it coughs but then dies it is most likely a fuel deliver problem. Carb, fuel pump, air leak, fuel line or fuel tank. If it coughs, starts and then runs great afterwards, it is...
I would also think that if you aligned that flywheel with the key you have, be it a good key or bad, your timing would be set. If you torqued that flywheel down with it set that way and pulled the starter rope, the motor would probably pop for at least few papumps, so as to mis-align the key...
Did you say that you swapped out the spark plugs for different ones? I mean I can't think of anything else. Your cylinder compression numbers are fine and yes, your spark looks awesome. I think the key is good as well. I would think that if any of the key aligned with the groove in the...
A couple other thoughts:
1) Any chance you reversed the spark plug wires after you checked your compression numbers?
2) Perhaps your spark plugs are fouled. In your case both would need to have fouled at the same time, but it would not hurt to put a couple new plugs in and give it a test.
3)...
When you pull on the starter the water pump impeller will rotate and that will move some water up the water tube. As the water moves up the tube the air in it must move out, so perhaps that is all you are seeing there.
When you get nothing from adding fuel directly to the cylinders it makes me...
Did you put any fuel directly into the cylinder holes and see what result you get when you
attempt to start it?
Also, in June when you were working on this motor I asked if you noticed that your cam roller is missing a piece to it that might make it hard to line up the link and sync properly...
It is always a little more smoky when it is running in a barrel without a load. You will find it will leak out some of that black unburnt fuel/oil/carbon after a lot of barrel running. Again, very normal and it does not happen as much when run on a boat.
The best spark plugs for that motor...
The problem with listing a motor that does not run is the uncertainty alone forces a very low price. If you can get it running you can either use it or get fair market value but as a non-running motor you would need to discount it about 80% or more to get a knowledgable buyer and...
I built this one from Leeroy's Ramblings and it works great. A piece of wood cut with a jig saw and two bolts with nuts to allow adjustment. Spark plug boots go on the bolts and you attach the clip that's connected to a metal plate at the top of it, to the motors ground and pull the starter...
I have used the multimeter method of determining proper timing, many times, where I find the exact moment the point opens, and then align the flywheel and confirm the timing marks are good. When I am done I will also check the point gap. In every single instance the point gap was at the 0.020"...
