husqvarna 162 spark

[steele109]

Hi I just rebuilt a 162 husky.It has only cranked twice. The problem is spark or lack of it.I have 4 coils and triggers 3 used and 1 new and a bunch of spark plugs.I have tried a lot of combinations all end the same. I have 8 different 61-66 husky variations with 2 piece coils all run fine except this one.When this one cranked it ran good but the next time I picked it up no spark.When this has spark it is a very thin blue spark. My question is does anyone know a way to beef up the spark on a 2 piece system.

[sablatnic]

Not a help as such, but when the "new" coils for the 162 came, around 1980, they needed replacement of the flywheel too. Opposite polarity, I believe we were told.

[steele109]

Thanks for your reply, but when I mentioned a new coil I meant a new aftermarket 2 piece coil and trigger.I have tried a 61 flywheel and there is no difference.The other saws I have with a 2 piece coil all have a good blue spark.But not this one, you would think this being a all metal saw(crank case and fuel tank) that it would have good ground.I washed the saw before I put it back together, so all the contact points should be clean.I spin it with impact some plugs give a red spark and some give a thin faint blue spark.It's just not enough to crank it.

[sablatnic]

What happens when you use the pull starter?
I use a plug with the side electrode bent out for testing - the coil has to be able to produce a spark from the center to the rim of the plug to be any good.

[Spike60]

There were two manufacturers for those 162 and 61 ignitions; SEM and Prufrex. Initially they were touted as fully interchangeable. But it turned out that they really weren't, and a mix and match would eventually cause one of them to fail. So, that's something to watch for when pulling parts from various old saws. 

The gap on these is supposed to be .5mm, and not less than .35, or interference with the flywheel is possible. 

[steele109]

Thanks to all who have responded to my post.That being said I made a ground jumper wire so I could see the spark better when I pull it by hand.This saw has a very narrow blue spark.I checked a couple of me running saws (a 61 and 66) the spark was bigger wider.Two of the coil trigger units are the same red boot the third is the same brand but has a black boot.The fourth on is a chinese knock off.I gap the flywheel with a business card, I have one more two part flywheel I can try and I think I will pull the coil and trigger from a running saw to try.

[steele109]

Thank you to the people who responded to my post.Bob I checked and all my coils and triggers are the same brand except the nockoff.I made a ground wire to test the spark when I pull the starter it helps but it still has a thin blue spark and won't crank.I have a third 2 piece flywheel, I think I will try it and a coil and trigger off a running saw.

[Spike60]

What did you rebuild it with? Aftermarket or OEM stuff? Dumb question; but how's the compression feel?

Almost statistically impossible for that many coils and flywheels to not work.  ???

[steele109]

Hi I used a oem cylinder and a aftermarket piston,caber rings. The compression is good I originally  plugged the cylinder but wound up putting decompression plug in it so I could pull it over faster.

[steele109]

Hi all finally got the spark issue figured out. Except it was actually a me issue. The clutch was rubbing the cover which kept me from being able to crank it fast enough to start.I got all that figured out but now I have a new problem. The oil cap is leaking,I realize these caps are nla but I have a few of them.The one I tried first was a new old stock, the o-ring was still soft the inner orange rubber was still good but it leaks like a sieve. I am thinking about drilling from the clutch side and installing a newer stile vent. Does anyone think this will work or should I try something else?

[Tacotodd]

Can you take 3 pictures: 1 of the cap/oring, 1 of the saw body where the cap goes, 1 of the assembled parts. It's bound to help people make some sort of assessment, because that CANNOT hurt.

[David B]

On the original topic: I have a 61 I built into a 266. Ran and tuned fine at home. In a log at work, no power! Tried different ignitions with the bent plug gap test. Some were fat and bright and some dull/thin/blue. I baked them all at 200 F for a couple hours. Some improvement, some run obviously poorly and some just seem to have a little less power maybe. So subjective it's frustrating. I will have to carefully test each combo for weak appearing spark and then also test for power in the cut against my known good running 266 with the same bar and chain. The best running pair has pretty bad wires I will have to re insulate with heat shrink.