Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): small mower engine with no spark, armature, flywheel

Question
hey there i have an old lawn mower thats been sitting around for years and is a bit rusty. i dont nkow the make of it or how old but my problem is getting it to spark. there is definately a small current going to the spark plug beacause it zaped me but not enough to make it spark you got any ideas? oh yeah and the armature isnt shaped like a U but like an m with 3 points for the magnets to whizz past is this normal any help is good cheers


Answer
Hi Dan,

Make sure you have a good ground at the plug.  If still no hot spark, try cleaning any rust off the flywheel and the coil, then re-gap the coil at .012.  If that doesn't help, the coil is probably weak and needs replacement.

Let me know how you make out.
Michael