1997 8HP over reving & stalling - hard starting

[IFish4Tuna]

Hi - the subject says most of it. <br /><br />Recently the engine has been over reving. Need choking to get it started even after it's been running. Some times it starts, sometimes it stalls right out again. When it stays running it's running about 2x or 3x what it should be for a normal idle speed.<br /><br />If I shut it off, it will not necessarily start right up. <br /><br />Other than this the engine has been running great since I got it used well over 2 years ago. <br /><br />Does this sound like a sign of a bad coil? Or something other electrical?<br /><br />I was going to change the plugs on it today just for sanity, but the store was closed. There is a light grey on the electrode of the spark pbug, but I believe this to be normal (according to http://www.machv.com/diagsparplug.html )<br /><br />Any pointers, or similar past problems / solutions. I'm not really up for the ground up parts replacement trial & error.<br /><br />Thanks, Ed

 

[IFish4Tuna]

Re: 1997 8HP over reving & stalling - hard starting

Well no longer over-revving. Now it just won't start. I pulled the plugs and grounded them and cranked the engine to see if they generated a spark. It was day light this morning, but I don't think there was a spark, and it's kind of hard pulling and keeping an eye on the plug.<br /><br />Does it make sense that a coil would cause the over-reving as a premature symptom of failure?<br /><br />Is changing the coil the next logical step?<br /><br />Thanks in advance, Ed