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Old September 14th 04, 05:05 PM
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Dave Hyde wrote:
: Justin H wrote...
: I tried starting my engine today after a top overhaul,
: the right P-Lead got really hot and smoke came off it
: when I hit the starter button.

: Is your engine grounded to the airframe? If you saw smoke
: the damage is probably already done, but while you're
: replacing the wires you smoke-checked check your engine
: ground - probably a braided strap somewhere between the
: engine case and the airframe.

Many engines only have an impulse coupling on the left mag, so the right mag
is supposed to be grounded when starting to prevent kickback/backfire. If you don't
have a good engine ground (i.e. top overhaul guy forgot to reconnect it), it'll try to
suck starter ground current through the right p-lead just as you described. It
probably fried your ignition switch, p-lead wire, points, and possibly the whole mag
(case, coil, etc).

-Cory


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************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss *
* Electrical Engineering candidate Ph.D. graduate student *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
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