NO SPARK:

L

lonewolfez

Filing Flight Plan
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lonewolfez

  • Question: I have a N-3 pup 1985 w/a 1/2 VW Globel engine, It ran great the last time, after winter storage, I brought it out to fire it up and no spark at the slugs, this never happened before. I check all that I could think of, what is next? Any help would be great, thanks up front.
    Yesterday at 9:19 PM
  • lonewolfez:
    The ol gal just does not wanta talk to me this year?? I hope someone out there as some ideas about my N-3 PUP....
 
Critters eat the wiring? Points corroded and not functioning? Could be a lot of things. I don’t think a lot of people on us will be familiar with the engine.
 
lonewolfez said:
Question: I have a N-3 pup 1985 w/a 1/2 VW Globel engine, It ran great the last time, after winter storage, I brought it out to fire it up and no spark at the slugs, this never happened before. I check all that I could think of, what is next? Any help would be great, thanks up front.
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That engine is uncommon and I'm not familiar with it. What exactly did you check? This engine is used in kit airplanes. Did you build this airplane? If so you must be familiar with the engine.

Troubleshooting advice: understand how the ignition system works and start testing/measuring step by step from one end to the other. At each step you're measuring voltage, either low (12 V) or high (10,000+ V). Or measuring impedance, for example across the spark plugs or coil wires. You can start from the plugs and work upstream, or start from the source (magneto? coil?) and work downstream.
 

  • Question: I have a N-3 pup 1985 w/a 1/2 VW Globel engine, It ran great the last time, after winter storage, I brought it out to fire it up and no spark at the plugs, this never happened before. I check all that I could think of, what is next? Any help would be great, thanks up front.
    Yesterday at 9:19 PM
  • @lonewolfez:
    The ol gal just does not wanta talk to me this year?? I hope someone out there as some ideas about my N-3 PUP....

Magman said:
Critters eat the wiring? Points corroded and not functioning? Could be a lot of things. I don’t think a lot of people on us will be familiar with the engine.
Click to expand...
It was a factory built air craft in 1985 the Globel was the 1/2 VW engine that can with the N-3 Pup at that time.
 
lonewolfez said:
It was a factory built air craft in 1985 the Globel was the 1/2 VW engine that can with the N-3 Pup at that time.
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If the magneto hasn't been off for inspection in 40 years, it's about 35 years past its best-before date.

If that engine uses battery ignition, you probably have electrical system problems, or the points and condenser are shot.
 
As alluded to by @Dan Thomas the group would need to know what kind of ignition system is on the plane to give any advise. I believe most of those had a magneto on the rear of the engine.

Are you sure that the no start is ignition related? If it was stored with auto fuel in the tank & carb that could cause issues.

Not to be critical, but it appears you may not understand much about the operation of the engine so I'd suggest you find someone that does. While these aren't Global engines in particular, Scott knows a lot about 1/2 VW engines and such: https://www.hummelengines.com/
 
Dan Thomas said:
If the magneto hasn't been off for inspection in 40 years, it's about 35 years past its best-before date.
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I know mags should be sent out at 500 hours, but is there a 5 year calendar component as well?
 
There are some Bendix mags that have a sort of “wafer switch” that

will short out p-lead if the nut is even slightly loose.

YMMV
 
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