Preditor 6.5 212cc Problems

[TomA in CA]

I am having trouble with a predator 6.5 212cc. It ran beautifully for many years.
Always started on 1-2 pulls. Makes me wonder if these imported engines have hotter spark than the old domestic engines.

My current problem started when the ground wire to the coil broke and shorted out. I replaced it with a new Amazon coil. I left the ground wire unhooked to eliminate problems with the switch.

It would not start at all. I figured the new coil was no good. Amazon has a deal where you can order 3 coils cheap I guess people are having trouble with bad coils.

I finally realized there is a little box over by the switch that I believe is the capacitor. I hooked up the ground . Now it runs sort of. Hard to start and runs like crap. I am thinking of splicing the wire on the original coil and trying that.

I had thought of just buying a new predator. They are not $100 any more they are $150 with the tariffs. You have the choice of EPA or Carb so I am guessing they are different. Possibly another case of new stuff being crap.

I just want my old predator on my old Troybilt tiller running good.

 

[Butch(OH)]

The first step when a Honda or Honda clone (like your engine) looses spark is to unhook the oil level sensor and see if spark returns. Bad oil sensors and bad sparks plugs are MUCH more common than bad coils UNLESS the engine has been turned over with the sparkplug wire not attached to a grounded spark plug. The cheap knock off coils can be ruined with one pull of the rope when the high tension lead is left open

 

[Mule Meat]

Three or four different types of coils for those engines. Stock, Rev limiting, full on race are just three types. All of them fit the same engine.

Is the coil installed correctly? Facing the wrong way can throw the timing off.

 

[TomA in CA]

Thanks for the help guys. One of the main differences seems to be aluminum or copper windings. I am going to try to find a premium one with copper windings.

 

[RedMVa]

Thanks for the help guys. One of the main differences seems to be aluminum or copper windings. I am going to try to find a premium one with copper windings.

Harbor freight sells the oem parts now for that since it came from there or go with a Honda part

 

[RedMVa]

Personally I would’ve fixed the broken wire first and see if it fixed it

 

[TomA in CA]

Progress report: It's fixed. I put the original coil back on it. I used the ground wire from one of the new coils. I put the original carburetor back on it . It starts and runs great now. Thanks for the help, knowledge and moral support guys.