Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): No Spark, is it my magnito, magnito, maintenance issue

Question
Hi, I am a rank amateur at this. I bought a used lawn vac, and the motor wont start. (3.5 hp, B&S, verticle shaft) I get no spark. I found oil in the points/contacts compartment. Can I test the magnito by measuring impedance? What are the ranges of impedance that should I see? Can it be the magnets in the flywheel? How do I test for that? Is the oil in the points compartment something to worry about? I have checked that the cut off wire was not grounded. What steps should I follow in diagnosing the problem?

Thank you,
Dominic

Answer
There is little value in testing the resistance of the windings in the coil.  Take the coil into a good shop and they can test it for you on a coil tester.  Then I recommend replacing the points and condensor, regardless of how they look (maintenance issue).  You should also replace the points plunger (slides right out) and determine if the upper oil seal for the crankshaft is leaking and needs replacement.  If the magnets are present in the flywheel and the flywheel key isn't sheared, there should be no issue there.  Hope this helps.