omc 120 has no spark

[coldblood88]

i put my 120 omc stern drive away for the winter and ran like new. got it out for the summer and dropped battery in and it turned over just like when i put it away. but would not start. when i looked in to it further i found it had no spark. any help would be grate. if you need more info about engine just ask. thax for any help that can be given.

 

[ifallsguy]

Re: omc 120 has no spark

Have you checked the deadman switch? Had a similar issue at the dock one day and found the clip had slipped and the switch was not closed. You can crank all day and the engine will not start if the clip is not on tightly or the switch is bad.

 

[coldblood88]

Re: omc 120 has no spark

i have not and to be honest i would have no idea where that would be.

 

[Don S]

Re: omc 120 has no spark

Put some new points in it, set the dwell properly, and it will run.

 

[coldblood88]

Re: omc 120 has no spark

thank u however i replaced the points and and condenser last season when i bought the boat just as general maintenance i am not getting spark from the coil its self

 

[ifallsguy]

Re: omc 120 has no spark

The deadman switch/ignition cutoff should be between the ignition key and the steering column. It looks sort of like the top of an "AA" battery. The center pin must be pressed in and held by a clip in order to get power to the ignition. If the clip is missing or becomes unseated, the engine will not fire or, if running, shut down. You can crank all day if the switch is not properly locked down.

I spent 20 minutes trying to figure out why my boat wouldn't fire before I realized the clip had become unseated. Put it back on correctly and the engine fired right up.

The clip is supposed to be connected to a lanyard that the captain clips to their lifevest/belt clip, etc and is designed to shut the engine down if you are not in a position to control the boat (go overboard, bounced out of your seat and away from controls, etc). It is a real safety device and SHOULD NOT be fixed with a work around.

If you find out you lost or don't have the clip, you should be able find replacements at West Marine or some other marine supplier or marina.