Topic: Coils 1 & 2 not firing - can't figure this out.

[madmtnmotors]

Shot means that they were black with residue and wet with gas.

If they're black and wet (plugs are shot) isn't it more likely a case of fuel than lack of spark? If they didn't fire, how would there be carbon fouling? They'd be bright, shiny, and wet.

That's what made me question the use of the screw-on posts at the spark plug terminal. This could cause an intermittent spark that could lead to a rich condition when the plug would actually fire?

[calj737]

What do you think, Wilbur, about 15' to sort this out in front of you?

[madmtnmotors]

What do you think, Wilbur, about 15' to sort this out in front of you?

LOL, I know it wouldn't take long. These machines are pretty basic... barring any egregious mechanical failure, which typically makes itself known in the form of hellish metal on metal banging/knocking/screeching, as long as compression is good, then it's got to be fuel or spark.

I had to dig deep to think of the screw on terminal posts. If the old plugs were removed and discarded, then the project sat for a spell (or if the old plugs were simply discarded without noticing that the threaded post was exposed), then the new plugs were unboxed, and the screw on terminal post fell out of the box....

It's much more difficult when "flying blind" (no pictures). 

[madmtnmotors]

Any resolution here? Sure would be nice to know, and possibly helpful to someone else experiencing similar issues, what the problem turned out to be?