Welding Tips and Tricks

My lincoln sa200 ran perfect about 2 weeks ago and now it wont fire up. My first suspicion is that something got wet. It sat out uncovered during some rain.
Some one told me to pull the spark plug cable off and hit the ignition while holding the bare connector near the plug to see if there was an arc. I got nothing. Does anyone know if this actually works as an indicator as to wether or not im getting spark to the engine?
Thanks in advance!

Also should mention that everything turns over how it should, just doesnt fire up and the bit of small engine mechanics experience that i have lead me to belive that its a spark or fuel problem because i hear no combustion what so ever when i crank it.

Yes that will indicate if your getting spark. Just hold it about an 1/8 of an inch away. If you don't have spark then follow that wire the other direction. Not sure if there running a distributor cap or some variation of a mag pickup off the fly wheel. Think there are a couple of people here who have done full rebuilds on them so you should end up with some real answers later.

depending on how old that SA200 is it should have points in the distributor..

i would check the fallowing things..

Spark plugs.. might be fouled out or bad..
Coil.. see if that is working.. not impsoble for it to have poped. had it happen to me on a old truck i have
Points.. make sure there clean and breaking conection and also making conection.. they could be grounded out all the time.. or visa versa.
and wiring.. might not be getting any current to the coil or points.. bad ground ect.

first thing if it was me.. i would make sure your getting power to the coil.. then make sure the coil is good, then check the points to make sure there working right.. they basicly ground the coil out so it makes it spark.. then make sure the distrubtor cap is clean..

if you have not done it this would be a good time for.. new plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points, and maybe coil. and any other maintenance it might need as well once you get it going.

I'm willing to bet she has a mag unless it's been up graded. First I would check all my electrical connections looking for a short to ground. I'd make sure my ingnition switch was good, that's how this thing shuts off.the switch grounds out the mag. Pull the cap off the mag and see that that looks. Could be oil pressure switch. No oil pressure=no power. The list of suspects is long. Murphy gauges? My old bitch acts up in the rain too. I just try seal everything up best I can and keep the rest dry.

Bigben wrote:I'm willing to bet she has a mag unless it's been up graded. First I would check all my electrical connections looking for a short to ground. I'd make sure my ingnition switch was good, that's how this thing shuts off.the switch grounds out the mag. Pull the cap off the mag and see that that looks. Could be oil pressure switch. No oil pressure=no power. The list of suspects is long. Murphy gauges? My old bitch acts up in the rain too. I just try seal everything up best I can and keep the rest dry.

you might be right about that.. either way if it was me id go threw everything..

ever get her going?