Tecumseh HH60 Ignition Cam misalignment

[zutanz]

My TroyBilt tiller over-revved, broke conn.rod, on 6hp engine, which I replaced. Reinstalled cam with mark aligned with beveled tooth - the only mark on the crank shaft gear., with piston at TDC. Then tried to set points,
I turned the crank until the intake valve opened and closed and stopped turning with piston at .080“ BTDC - the point at which ignition should occur. But, at this point, the points cam lobe - which is machined into the crankshaft - is ~40• past the opener on the points, and I can’t turn the mounting plate far enough clockwise to get to the lobe.
I would expect the points to be just opening, but the lobe is way past that point.
Does anyone have a clue as to what I might’ve done wrong with my reassembly?
Thank you for your consideration!

 

[used red MN]

I took flywheel off, found a brass electrical spade fitting , where the condenser wire attached to the points. So, I ran a wire from this to a small toggle that I attached to the control plate, near the carb.

The throttle lever should move to a point below idle that the terminal on the control plate is contacted to the engine frame(grounded). That should kill the engine no other switch needed. A wire attached to the spade terminal you talking about on the magneto assembly should kill the engine when contacted to the engine frame. A low volt switch which is usually rated up to 250 volts is not designed to be used in the secondary (spark) circuit of an ignition, the terminals are not separated far enough apart to assure there is no voltage leak or jump, nor is the insulation rated to protect to 3-5000 volts plus an ignition provides. It’s not that the contacts aren’t “heavy duty” enough, the higher the voltage the less current. A sewing pin sized contact would short out a secondary spark voltage just fine.
If the wire you connected to the ignition assembly under the flywheel connects to the terminal circled in red in this photo you should be good to go on a kill circuit if you contact that to the frame.

 

[Bill_Deering]

Shorting out the points is the way to do it. You need a good ground on the engine block to one side of the toggle switch. And the lug on the side of the mag.

 

[Bill_Deering]

Just another thought, you could use your DVM or test light to check the switch is grounding out the points. Make sure the points are open, then look for continuity when you close the switch.

 

[ole fred]

It is a good idea to stop them by shutting off the gas.

 

[560Dennis]

Boy! that little point cam sure made me head scratch and a friend, on a Cushman engine. The cam was on it lobe reverse.
Took one off a spare engine ,installed , and it fire right up.
Took awhile to figure that one out. Awhile

 

[zutanz]

The throttle lever should move to a point below idle that the terminal on the control plate is contacted to the engine frame(grounded). That should kill the engine no other switch needed. A wire attached to the spade terminal you talking about on the magneto assembly should kill the engine when contacted to the engine frame. A low volt switch which is usually rated up to 250 volts is not designed to be used in the secondary (spark) circuit of an ignition, the terminals are not separated far enough apart to assure there is no voltage leak or jump, nor is the insulation rated to protect to 3-5000 volts plus an ignition provides. It’s not that the contacts aren’t “heavy duty” enough, the higher the voltage the less current. A sewing pin sized contact would short out a secondary spark voltage just fine.
If the wire you connected to the ignition assembly under the flywheel connects to the terminal circled in red in this photo you should be good to go on a kill circuit if you contact that to the frame. View attachment 152337

Thanks for the detailed reply. I tried this, but it didn’t work. There’s a brass spade connector at that circled area and one on the throttle control, so I thought that set up should work, but it didn’t, so I’m killing the engine with a well insulated wire from the plug. The throttle control bracket appears to be grounded already, which it shouldn’t be for this to work. I’ll see how my other tiller shuts off; maybe that’ll give me s clue. As long as I can till, I’m good to go, for now.

 

[zutanz]

It is a good idea to stop them by shutting off the gas.

That’s the way I was doing it. Now, I’m using a wire from the top of the plug, which goes through a piece of fine nylon drip-hose, and sticks out the other end and hangs free. I can grab that without getting zapped and touch the end of the wire to the machine when I need to kill the engine.
Thanks for your reply! - Michael

 

[used red MN]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I tried this, but it didn’t work. There’s a brass spade connector at that circled area and one on the throttle control, so I thought that set up should work, but it didn’t,

If that wire is still connected to the ignition unit under the flywheel and the wire has good continuity which basically means it can conduct electricity then it should kill the engine when it is touched to a metal part on the engine. If it doesn’t your defying basic electrical laws. The spade on the throttle control may not be making a connection to the engine frame due to it malfunctioning when in the off or kill position. This wire is connected to the primary circuit of the ignition unit so it needs a positive ground out or connection to the engine frame as said above, this is not carrying the high voltage spark that goes to the spark plug so just touching it to a painted surface does not make a proper connection like it would to the spark. For a test hold bare end the wire to non painted clean surface, you can do this with your fingers the voltage on that wire it very low it cannot zap you.

 

[neverfear]

These work pretty good.

 

[zutanz]

View attachment 153532
These work pretty good.

I have one of those on my lawnmower.
The insulator on the tiller’s plug wire covers the electrode, so this won’t work for my application . So, what I’ve done is connected a 16“ piece of 14g stranded copper wire to the plug electrode, ran the free end through a 12“ piece of fine nylon drip hose, knotted the free end of the wire- so it won’t slip off, and I can grab the the wire without getting zapped and ground the free end of the wire to the engine. It works!
Thanks for your suggestion though; I didn’t know I could buy a plug grounder separately.