Another no spark thread

[go_panthers]

Hopefully I can get some help here. I searched, but didn't see anything that match my problem closely. Here's the story:

I de-winterized my 99 Sportster 1800 a few weeks ago. Both engines cranked right up after purging the foggin oil and a couple tries on the starters. So far so good. I pull the pumps and replace the oil and seals. Reinstall the pumps last weekend and crank the engines. No issues. Replaced the sacrificial anode and cranked the engines for a final time yesterday.

I've been around seadoos for a long time, so I know not to run them without water. never did I let them run for more than 10 seconds.

Anyway, I go to crank the port engine this morning and it turns over, but doesn't start. Starbord motor cranks fine. No issues.

I out a spark tester between the spark plug wire and the spark plug on the rear plug. That's where it got interesting. The engine cranked right up. Spark plug tester light was flashing with each spark. Puzzled, I removed the spark plug tester and replaced the spark plug wire on the spark plug. Engine didn't start. Put the tester back in-line, no start and no spark. I do get spark on the front plug.

So, a few questions:
1) how do I remove the spark plug boot? I've pulled, twisted, and it won't budge. I want to cut 1/4" off of each wire, but can't get the boots off.
2) What else would cause one plug not to get spark?
3) any other advice? Heading to the beach next weekend...

Thanks, in advance for the help.

 

[go_panthers]

Ok, I got the boot off by spraying some seadoo lube in the wire end of the boot and letting it soak in for a few minutes. When I pulled the wire out, there was no exposed wire at the tip of the cable, so I trimmed some of the jacket off to expose 1/4" of wire. I'm going to go see if I can get a replacement boot, since I'm not sure if the old tip was corroded into the boot. This may fix my problem.

 

[Dr Honda]

As far as I know... your engine fires both plugs together... so if you have fire on one plug, and not the other... then it's probably just a wire/contact issue.

Keep us posted on what you find.

 

[ialonso]

NGK Spark Plug Boot screws in...

Those boots actually have something resembling a screw at the point the wire meets the boot. You should push the cable in all the way, and then turn the boot to "Screw" it on.

You may already know this, but nobody told me when I had to replace my failed coils and spent a little time trying to figure it out, specially since I had busted the thread out of my boots puling them out. I got some new boots and the threads on the internal screw were much more plainly visible.

As previously stated these coils fire both plugs every time, so hopefully the coil is still good. Maybe the boot is bad? Does it tightly click and grab the plug when you put it on? maybe a slight deformation of the internal metal cap piece with pliers makes it more snug? (At you own risk.... )