Topic: 4 coils shot in two years

[bjr232012]

It's the 18 hp twin Flathead no oil filter engine. I don't remember all the engine no's. I've went thru 4 coils in two years and all I do is mow grass. All coils were OEM. Yes, they all seem to fail when the weather warms up. The other thing is there a temperature gauge made for air cooled engines? any recommendations on coil problems and whether or not I can find a temp. gauge to monitor engine temperatures. bjr23

[Rooster]

If you are buying new coils from Briggs, that is not surprising...Your better off to get a used one off of an old engine than to  buy new, the new ones are junk.
Does it usually happen after you shut it off? Mowing, turn it off, then go to start it and no fire? Those engines are bad about getting hot after you shut them down. the only thing I have heard of to combat this is to put a small fan on the flywheel right after shutting it down....not really sure how much good it does though?

[more4les]

Use a closer spark plug gap. I use .018-,020. Also after mowing open the cowl and let the engine run at 1/2 throttle for a couple of minutes. Both seem to help a lot. I have a 2000 grass cutter (bought new) that in the first 2 years went through a couple coils. It's been on the same coil since then though.

Lester