I swear this story is honest to God true. When my brother in law took the small engine course I took, I was teaching it with my friend Don. For those who don't know what a spark checker is, let me describe it and what it does. It's a round circle with set screws pointing toward the center of the circle. There is a clip on one end which clips to ground and the spark plug wire attaches to another screw. When you pull the engine starter cord, if you have spark, it should be nice and blue. For the blind, you should hear a nice sharp snapping sound as you pull the cord.
If the color isn't that nice blue color, there is a week spark and the snap isn't as sharp sounding as you'd like. We were at the point during the training where the student learns that little fact of life. Mind you, these are all guys in this class so there's allot of joking around and horsing around. I had just finished explaining and telling the students they will need their spark checker. This one guy says I didn't bring mine. Is there any other way to check to see if this thing has spark? Not thinking he would do it, I said, there sure is. First, put your left foot on the shroud cover. Now, take that wire down there by the plug and hold it in your left hand. He says I got it, I said now haul ass back on that rope and tell me if it has spark. The other guys are all laughing and this guy gives the rope a mighty yank! He yells so blank blank TT and it sure does got spark! it surely does! I was more surprised it didn't knock him on his butt! I know it sure as hell would have me and has too when I've gotten my hand to close to the spark wire wile the engine's running. Alan Please click on: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alanandsuzanne/ There, you'll find files of my arrangements and performances played on the Yamaha Tyros keyboard. I often add files so check back regularly! The albums in Technics format formerly on my website are still available upon request. ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Stephan" <wstep...@everestkc.net> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Sunday, June 13, 2010 1:45 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question > Bob: speaking of getting blasted, I remember that a lot of the Briggs > engines had to be turned off by flipping a little leaver against the spark > plug. I could never remember whether the leaver was to the right or left > of > the plug, and almost invariably grabbed the spark plug and got a good > zap. > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com] > On Behalf Of Bob Kennedy > Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 14:53 > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question > > > > > > Oh boy! The Fairbanks Morris magneto! What a blast they could give you. > > I became authorized service for each of the companies you mentioned in 76. > > The Kohlers were so quiet because everything they made back then was cast > iron. They are related to the same people that make the bath tubs and > sinks > and faucets. > > When you went to tech school back then they knew the updates on engines > were > boring so they would show a slide of some lady in one of their bath tubs. > That brought the class to attention... > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: William Stephan > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 3:39 PM > Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question > > Great story Alan, thanks for posting it. Back in the day, 1970s or so, I > ran a business with a tool rental component. We had a mix of engines, B&S, > Koehler and Wisconsin for the most part in the air-cooled department > anyway. > The B&S engines were forever being replaced, and were twice as loud as the > Koehlers were. The Wisconsins we had had a spring magneto in them, and if > memory serves, some of the mechanics cursed them mightily. The Koehlers > though, were quiet, and the guys that worked for me really enjoyed working > on them. The Koehlers also seemed to require way less repair/replacement > than the Briggs did. > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > [mailto:blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> ] > On Behalf Of Alan Paganelli > Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 09:43 > To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question > > I never liked B&S and the rest of the American engines. Not a baring or a > bushing in there. Just a hardened steal crankshaft rubbing against an > aluminum block. How the hell long do you think that's 'gonna last. Now you > know why those things are going away. The bright-boys figured themselves > right out of business. > > When I went through the course, it cost around 40 bucks to get a small > engine tuned up. You had 5 dollars worth of parts into it so you did about > an hours work if you wanted to do the thing right and walked away with $35 > for your trouble. You could the job out of your garage and if you couldn't > make at least 200 that weekend, you weren't trying very hard. And, for a > totally blind person it's all done by feel. As it turned out, the guy who > was teaching the course at Perdue was a guy who played bass with us when I > was on the road. When I met him at the class, we both asked each other > what > the hell are you doing here! I said I'm here for the course. Whatta you > here for? I'm here to teach it. He said he had been doing this all his > life working at his old man's shop sense he was a kid. I wondered why the > school never gave me any crap about the old blind people can't work on > small > > engines. Don wouldn't have stood still for it. > > After I took and passed the course, my brother in law decided he wanted to > take it as well and asked me to go with him to kind of pave the way for > him. > > I said sure. Why not. When we walked in the place, the class was twice the > size of the one I was in. Don said I'm glad your here. I need you to help > me teach these guys. Are you nuts Don? I just passed the course 2 weeks > ago. Oh don't worry about anything. Here's what we're gonna do. We'll > split the class in half. I'll take half and you take the other half. I'll > be doing the teaching with my half. You show your guys the same thing I'm > showing my guys. I'll still be walking around helping people who need it > so > you'll be fine and think of it this way. We learn by doing and by doing it > all over again, it'll make you better at it. So, after taking the course, > I > wound up teaching it 2 weeks later. When Don introduced me to the class he > said this guy was on the road with us. He might be totally blind but he > knows his business. He is a graduate of this course and so, he'll be the > assistant instructor. To my surprise, nobody thought anything about me > being blind and some students insisted on calling me prof. Pretty weird! > > Alan > > Please click on: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alanandsuzanne/ > There, you'll find files of my arrangements and performances played on > the Yamaha Tyros keyboard. I often add files so check back regularly! > > The albums in Technics format formerly on my website are still > available upon request. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dale Leavens" <dleav...@puc.net <mailto:dleavens%40puc.net> > <mailto:dleavens%40puc.net> > > To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> >> > Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 10:21 PM > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question > >> Well therein lies the problem. I don't have a dealer that I know of >> anywhere near here. >> >> It is my understanding that they have about discontinued making Tecumseh >> engines altogether although there are loads of sources of parts. >> >> I don't much like the chipper either but neither do I like the price of >> new replacements. I wouldn't care that much but I do have about 80 feet >> of > >> privet hedge which gets trimmed a couple of times a year and this year I >> cut it down to about knee height and cut out a load of old trunks so the >> hedge will renew itself. I might be able to burn the debris along with >> the > >> pruning from my rose bushes but it is nice to chip it up and make compost >> or mulch. I get about a yard of compost every year between grass >> clippings, kitchen waste and other garden waste like hedge trimmings. >> >> While the town used to take stuff like that away they no longer do. I >> suppose they would if I bundled it and moved it out a bag at a time but >> that would take weeks and loads more work than feeding it to the chipper >> and that is a lot more fun anyway. >> >> I have Honda engines on my lawn mower and my plate compactor. They do >> behave wonderfully well. >> >> Thanks. >> >> Dale Leavens. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: Alan Paganelli >> To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com >> <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > >> Sent: Saturday, June 12, 2010 12:13 AM >> Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question >> >> >> >> As luck would have it, I went to small engine school in 1980 and worked >> on >> both Brigs and Stratton and Tacumseh3.5 horsepower engines. It sounds >> like >> you've got a real old engine. They've just about wiped out all the small >> engine guys. Everything on the new stuff is throw-away. I talked to one >> of >> the engineers who designs these things for Tecumseh. He told me his job >> wasn't to make a better engine but rather to figure out ways to make the >> engine do what it needs to do and to make it do it cheaper. So, on to >> your >> problem and knock of the wining. >> >> The part is called a needle valve. It attaches to a clip that lowers into >> the fuel flow closing it off. I would suggest pulling the carburetor off >> and taking it with you to your dealer so they can get the part number off >> it >> and just buy a rebuild kit. You will also need to replace the gasket that >> goes between the engine body and the carburetor. >> >> Alan >> >> Please click on: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~alanandsuzanne/ >> There, you'll find files of my arrangements and performances played on >> the Yamaha Tyros keyboard. I often add files so check back regularly! >> >> The albums in Technics format formerly on my website are still >> available upon request. >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Dale Leavens" <dleav...@puc.net <mailto:dleavens%40puc.net> > <mailto:dleavens%40puc.net> > >> To: <blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > >> Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 6:43 PM >> Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Tacumseh engine carbeurator question >> >> > Good evening, >> > >> > I have a wood chipper and leaf shredder powered by a horizontal four >> > stroke Tecumseh engine. The damn engine has given me a lot of grief >> over >> > the years, trouble starting after periods of inactivity. Oddly, this >> year >> > it has behaved fairly well. Then it began leaking fuel around the top >> of >> > the sediment bowl. The problem appears to be the little pin like valve >> > arrangement which should close off the fuel flow when the float raises >> and >> > pushes the little beggar into the orifice. Well I disassembled it, >> there >> > is a little spring clip which I was trying to figure out where it >> connects >> > when I lost the little pin like valve closer in the grass. >> > >> > I need to know what this little bad boy is called so I can see if I can >> > chase down a new one. >> > >> > It is a 6 or 8 sided pin about half an inch long I suppose beveled to a >> > point at one end and with a ring milled out very near the other end >> where >> > this little spring wire clip snaps onto it. It sits on top of the float >> > so, when the float is up it pushes firmly into the fuel port from the >> fuel >> > tank. >> > >> > Those of you with mechanical training may know what this little device >> is >> > called. >> > >> > Thanks for this. >> > >> > Dale leavens. >> > >> > >> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> > >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------------ >> > >> > Send any questions regarding list management to: >> > blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> >> > To listen to the show archives go to link >> > >> http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster > <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster > <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_ >> &PAGE_user_op=view_ > page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29> > &PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 >> > Or >> > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> > >> > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> > >> > Visit the archives page at the following address >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ >> > >> > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> > list just send a blank message to: >> > blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo > <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> > <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> ! Groups Links >> > >> > >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> Send any questions regarding list management to: >> blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster > <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster > <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_ >> &PAGE_user_op=view_ > page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29> > &PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 >> Or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> Visit the archives page at the following address >> http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ >> >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> list just send a blank message to: >> blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo > <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> > <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> ! Groups Links >> >> >> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > blindhandyman-ow...@yahoogroups.com > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29 > Or > ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > blindhandyman-h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! Groups Links > > > >
