How'd it go today?

Staked a couple wells and got more firewood. I'm a little concerned about the elm I sent Kaveman. I found some more today, and it wasn't as fragrant as the first chunks I cut up. Hope I got you a good one!

My coil for the chipper came in today. I'm looking forward to seeing how it doesn't get the cylinder going tomorrow. There's so many creative ways for things to fail, and so many details for me to overlook. Always exciting...
 
Today like most days, I Don’t have work.
So more dirt bike maintenance. yesterday I adjusted the valves in the xr650 and ruled that out for why it won’t idle. Waiting for a carb rebuild kit, thinking it’s the idle jet screw etc. yup. Today on the husky 350 I changed the motor oil but not the filter because I thought I had another one but. Some minor shavings in the screen. Nothing on the magnet. Changed the clutch fluid, changed the brake fluids…found gel in the masters that I guess is from someone not reading directions and putting dot 5... supposedly needs full strip and cleaning but not today. I used to pay for all these bikes to get fixed at shops and I was so poor in time to learn…. Now lots of time and time to learn. I found the front wheel bearings have some minor slop so gotta change those too.

Anyhoo. Contract climber whooooo… :)
 
Woke up late today (still earlier than most) and it threw me out of my routine. Kinda grouchy till lunchtime. We finished a two day removal job. Lots of wood to be hauled and stumps to grind. Then I sent the guys to check out tomorrow’s job while I tore into the mini skid again. Had to customize an 1&1/4 wrench but got the two bad hoses off. New ones will be ready tomorrow morning. Then helped set a few LVL’s at the barn. Had a good chat with the boss and now I’m home getting ready to eat dinner. I won’t say it was a great day but definitely not a bad one either.
 
I'm looking forward to seeing how it doesn't get the cylinder going tomorrow. There's so many creative ways for things to fail, and so many details for me to overlook. Always exciting...
New coil doesn't work. I know a real good quarry that chipper would look beautiful in, and nobody would know it's there; pretty much forever...

Ok, so how does electronic ignition work? I have 12V at the pigtails. How does it know when to fire the plug if it always(presumably) has 12V at the pigtails? Or to put it another way, why's it saying "I don't friggin' think so" when it comes time to ignite cylinder #2?

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This seems pertinent. Is there any useful info that had be had by checking something here?

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Bad electronic control module (ECM)? I am no expert but it’s something like the crank position sensor module sends impulse to the ECM telling it to send pulse to spark plug I think…
 
Through security and at our gate - off to the UK for a visit…

… turned out this piece yesterday; will sand and apply finish once I get home.
 

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I'll have to find where the igniter's located. I may have to put it in the shop. I have almost no understanding of how any of this works. I could muddle my way around ancient analog systems with a distributor, points, and all of that, but I'm like a dog reading the newspaper reading this manual, and it assumes prerequisites I don't have. Looks like the igniter's a $500 part, and I don't want to throw that kind of money at it, and hope it works.

Connecting my meter to the new coil pigtails is giving me impedance of 4.2 if I remember right. Spec is 1.87-2.53 @ 20°C. Is that too far out? I was below 20°, is that causing the discrepancy? Is it my ghetto meter? I have no understanding. I'm just trying to match numbers. I also connected the coil wrong on my first attempt. They cleverly swapped the connections on the asymmetrical coil, so you can't just hook up like you removed it. I should've known something was wrong when I had to force the connector. Looking it up online, people said it won't damage the coil. Just cause it to operate in a subpar condition, so I don't think I broke anything. It isn't unheard of getting defective new parts, but I don't think that's what's going on here. I'm pretty sure something else is broken, but I don't know what.

I'll check the igniter out, and maybe probe the known working components so I have something to compare to, but I don't think I have the chops to get this going myself.
 
#2 cylinder has never fired since I owned it. I found out when I checked the plugs. I figured it's the coil cause it's usually the coil. They go bad. I also get unusual impedance readings checking two of the coil terminals, but I don't know enough about it to know if it's really a bad reading, or just my cheap meter. Additionally I get 12V to the coil pigtails, so I assume that's last in line til the coil, so it's the coil.

After it still not working, I really think about it, and wonder how the hell the system works anyway. If I have 12V at the pigtail with the ignition [On], then the plug should be sparking away, right? It takes a 12V current, and turns it into whatever thousand volt. On an old distributor, it would be when the points close to complete the circuit, and it goes from the rotor to the cylinder on the cap. A blip of 12V turned to xkV. No idea how it works on a computer system.
 
Had a pretty fruitful last few days. I managed to come up with a new version of the STICHT hitch in a single day. But I had already been inspired by a design I most recently posted on my channel. So much of the hard work had already been done. I just had to figure out a way to incorporate a ring. My original prototype was bulky, but I still almost posted it, until, by divine intervention, I stopped myself and reassessed the hitch for a better tying method.

I've had quite a bit of free time lately, so I've been creating content as often as I can. Made a music video that shows off two SRS and one MRS system(s). I used new editing techniques with quick jump cuts to keep the viewer more engaged, and because I don't have a gimbal (a gyroscope for phones and cameras that allows for the maintenance of a stable filming position regardless of the movement of the person filming), I made good use of my fancy editing software, Adobe Premiere Pro, and used an effect called the "warp stabilizer," which did wonders for stabilizing my clips. Also managed to find some high quality, copyright free dubstep music that matches the tone of the video perfectly.

Anyways, both videos are in my thread. I know most of you don't care, which is fine. But I think I'm allowed to be proud of my unique contribution to this community. I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week and that you all get to do something you enjoy this weekend. I know I will. Take care. :big-wave:
 
I always did it the redneck way and pull the plug, stick it right back in the boot, hold it to the block, and cycle the engine (be careful, hold the boot with insulated pliers and gloves, crap that hurts). If you don't want it to run because it would be a danger to you or risk damage to the machine you can pull the other plugs and boots and test. It could be a switched wire, sometimes different engines use unusual wiring or cylinder timing and firing order, a couple lines can get crossed and one might work so it hides the problem pretty well. The advantage of this method is that it'll tell you a lot right there and now with all the components of the system being tested, you'll quickly be able to determine how strong the spark is by actually seeing it, and as the engine cycles you'll be feeling the compression and smelling the fuel air mixture, really getting a feel of what's going on in a hurry. I was taught that if an engine has fuel, spark, and compression it has to run.

If it's sparking you got fire, on to the next system. If no then check the plug and make sure it's not shorted out, check the gap and the plug for clues on how it's been running, and clean it well and try to spark it again. Check the plug boot to see if it's corroded, loose, or broken. Then check for volts mainly to see if you're getting anything out of the coil at all, and then check what kind of system it is. I've seen some that rely on a magnet in the flywheel to provide the spark, and rust/ dirt will get on the flywheel and clog up the works, or the gap would be off. A contact point with the spring type ones could be dirty or have a connection that worked loose or corroded. If it's the magnet type clean it up and space it with a post it note and they'll often run, the more efficient system now providing a much stronger spark which could have been causing a miss. Some are gear driven, and get can get messed up too, either dirty or worn teeth, missing teeth, or simply the gear has slid down the shaft out of position or something. If you're good to there it's probably gotta be the coil or something you missed. Sometimes the magnets become weak, sometimes there's a short somewhere, flywheel spun, maybe a bad ground somewhere, etc.

A few years ago my welding machine caught on fire in the back of my truck, a grounding strap worked loose and it grounded the starter through my oil pressure sensor tube, which of course caught on fire burning up a bunch of wiring. All of which was during a hire in test that i drove through 4 states and loaded up my truck in a couple of days, and i hit a deer on the way there :lol: It can be worse, although it probably doesn't feel that way right now. If you gotta step away from it for a bit absolutely, but then come back later and work it to find the problem when you're fresh, it sucks but it's the best way because you're not only fixing the problem, but you're teaching yourself about your machine, and when problems come up in the future you'll know how to fix at least part of it before you even start.

Finding a spec sheet or owners manual for the exact engine (not the chipper ones but get everything you can find there too) are often a great help too, it'll often have everything from torque specs to gasket requirements, electrical system and wiring diagrams, and info about ignition systems. Sometimes a wrong part is from a different model year or something but their computers don't know it, or you may have to install a different system entirely so you can get parts and do it cheaper/easier than the original system. Often a video can be found to watch too, and even if it's not your exact engine or anything most engines are pretty similar so you can still learn about them more and go back again til you win, using your new tricks to check stuff better. I usually hate it but there's no better way to do it, not to mention the fact i couldn't afford all the junk i have laying around if i had to pay someone to fix it for me :lol:
 
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I haven't. I guess that's something I can do; move a coil to #2 leads and see if it dies. That would at least rule out a DOA replacement coil. I might wait til next week for that. I got everything back together, and it's needed this weekend. I'll just run it on 2 cylinders.
 
Had a much better day yesterday. Fixed the mini, we got a good sized sugar maple down in a tight spot with no crane access and no damage done. The homeowner and several of the neighbors all called into the office with high praises of the work and our great attitude toward a difficult task. Then I went home took a long cold shower and headed to BJJ. Needed another shower after that. I consider myself to be in decent shape but that whooped my ass. I’ve had one class now so I’m practically a ninja😆
Today it is miserably pissing rain and cooler. I’ve found the limits to the water resistance of my Truewerk jacket. Still the day is great and the whole crew is joking around and embracing the suck. Quick break in between set ups and about to get back at it. It’s a beautiful shitty rainy day😎
 
The day is still good even with the Dr trying to ruin it. Same thing as almost a year ago. Feel my thyroid and say they want blood work. Then told me I’d most likely have to take a pill for the rest of my life. She wasn’t happy when I said that I don’t think I will take a pill because says my thyroid is swollen a bit. Blood work will show somethings I guess. My other problem is a pill doesn’t fix the problem, it just prolongs it.
Had a good long rage cardio work out afterward. Took a while to cool down but now I feel better
 
The day is still good even with the Dr trying to ruin it. Same thing as almost a year ago. Feel my thyroid and say they want blood work. Then told me I’d most likely have to take a pill for the rest of my life. She wasn’t happy when I said that I don’t think I will take a pill because says my thyroid is swollen a bit. Blood work will show somethings I guess. My other problem is a pill doesn’t fix the problem, it just prolongs it.
Had a good long rage cardio work out afterward. Took a while to cool down but now I feel better
I'm on that pill as well as my wife and recently my mother. No big whoop. I take it upon waking everyday with 500 ml of room temp water which we all should be drinking upon waking anyway or so I've heard.
 
I'm on that pill as well as my wife and recently my mother. No big whoop. I take it upon waking everyday with 500 ml of room temp water which we all should be drinking upon waking anyway or so I've heard.
Well, it would depend upon whether he has hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, and even then it may be a different condition. Not sure you can gage which pill he might be prescribed based soley upon his symptoms which, from a clinical point of view, are not described well enough to make an assessment.
 
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