Homelite Super 2 no spark

[Smiles79]

Just picked up a super 2 and XL2 for a combined total of less than $30. Looks like neither has spark, and on both when I put my multimeter on the wire coming from the condenser and the body of the condenser, I get infinity (I tested one with the points/condenser assembly put of the same and the other with it in). As I understand, this means the condenser is bad. What is a good source for these parts? What should I be looking to spend?

Also, one of the pawls on the flywheel that catches the starter pulley is broken. Can I get just that part, or do I need a new flywheel?

 

[hotshot]

An obsoleted A-69336 points set (w/ integral condenser) costs more than the POS saw’s worth, that’s likely why they were given away.

The flywheel needs replaced to get the pawl. Never seen an IPL parts list the pawls nor springs separately. Note that a points FW is different than the later CDI.

Leons chainsaws is a good place to start to check for Homelite parts. Website also has the parts lists by your UT number, so you can look them up.

https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Service guide is here.
https://houseofhomelite.proboards.com/board/49/super-2-xl-family

 

[piglosi]

An obsoleted A-69336 points set (w/ integral condenser) costs more than the POS saw’s worth, that’s likely why they were given away.

The flywheel needs replaced to get the pawl. Never seen an IPL parts list the pawls nor springs separately. Note that a points FW is different than the later CDI.

Leons chainsaws is a good place to start to check for Homelite parts. Website also has the parts lists by your UT number, so you can look them up.

https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html
Service guide is here.
https://houseofhomelite.proboards.com/board/49/super-2-xl-family

I second Leon’s. If he has the parts, they will be quality and at a very fair price. His shipping is fair too.

 

[Smiles79]

I ended up getting a starter pawl and a recoil rope from him, and I have two electronic ingition modules coming to replace the points from Amazon.

 

[hotshot]

Well the later 94711 electronic coils are not a ‘drop in’ conversion for the older points type saws. Even the cylinders are different on the points coil saws vs the electronic, as the two coil mounting bosses were changed in position.

I hope that one of your saws is already an electronic type, so you can use those new coils.

Good luck with the little Homelite repairs!

 

[Smiles79]

I'm not replacing the coil, just the points with one of those nova 2 type chips.

 

[Tony Mayhew]

Just picked up a super 2 and XL2 for a combined total of less than $30. Looks like neither has spark, and on both when I put my multimeter on the wire coming from the condenser and the body of the condenser, I get infinity (I tested one with the points/condenser assembly put of the same and the other with it in). As I understand, this means the condenser is bad. What is a good source for these parts? What should I be looking to spend?

Also, one of the pawls on the flywheel that catches the starter pulley is broken. Can I get just that part, or do I need a new flywheel?

I highly recommend that you watch one of his videos on how to route the impulse line and the oil and fuel as well! These little saws have pressurized tanks and it is a must that they are routed correctly or it will suck oil out of the bar oil tank and fill the carburetor full of oil! Leons information on homelites is spot on, and you would play hell finding anyone else on YouTube with any better information than he can give you. Also, let me just say from experience with any of those little saws such as the XL,XLsuper2, Mini Macs, stihl 011AVT that the engine is incased such as all of these saws are, i have not found one of these that are not absolutely full of fine sawdust due to someone cutting with a dull chain and when you do that you are not making chips or shavings, but instead it makes a fine powdered sawdust that gets sucked in the pull starter cover by the fins on the flywheel that cool the saw and it creates a oiley coating that covers the ends of the grounding posts and the main pick up on the coil and it won't spark when the magnet passes the coil! And last but not least! These little saws use a tapered fit sparkplug that takes a 5/8 sparkplug wrench to install it! Champion DJ7Y, and I see it all the time where someone has installed a sparkplug with a gasket on it and you will lose alot of compression doing this! And don't forget to put new duck bills in both oil and fuel tanks or your not going to get it to run my friend.

 

[Smiles79]

Thank you for the advice!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I've had at least one or two of these saws for the last 40 years (think I have 2 now). They're not as bad as most people say they are. In my opinion they're easier to work on than a mini-mac and are fairly dependable when done right. If you have specific questions about your saws post them here and I'll try to answer them. It is true that you have to take the outer case off the saw to do most work but once you've done one or two they're not that bad. As said, find a couple of new duckbill valves; I find them all the time on ebay, fairly cheap.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'm not replacing the coil, just the points with one of those nova 2 type chips.

If you decide to just change the condenser you can always use a WIMA .22 capacitor. They're labeled MKS 4, 630V D6 5%. They don't cost much either and will replace your condenser only, not the points.

 

[Tony Mayhew]

If you decide to just change the condenser you can always use a WIMA .22 capacitor. They're labeled MKS 4, 630V D6 5%. They don't cost much either and will replace your condenser only, not the points.

Now that is what I call some solid information right there a.palmer,Jr! Thank you very kindly brother!

 

[Smiles79]

I've had at least one or two of these saws for the last 40 years (think I have 2 now). They're not as bad as most people say they are. In my opinion they're easier to work on than a mini-mac and are fairly dependable when done right. If you have specific questions about your saws post them here and I'll try to answer them. It is true that you have to take the outer case off the saw to do most work but once you've done one or two they're not that bad. As said, find a couple of new duckbill valves; I find them all the time on ebay, fairly cheap.

Thanks a bunch! I do have a question after investigating the ignition system some more:

From what I can tell with my multimeter the points and condenser are both working properly. When I test the coil with the kill switch unplugged, here is what I get:

Tab (where the condenser and kill switch attach) to core: 0.8ohm
Tab to plug wire: 8.34kohm
Tab to ground: 0ohm.

Should the tab be grounded with the kill switch unplugged, or is it shorted internally?
I also have an xl2 that I haven't tried to start, but the coil readings are similar.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

It's kinda hard to ohm the system out with everything connected. I usually take everything apart and ohm the parts separately. I can't tell by the pics, does your saw have a plastic case or magnesium?
Your reading sounds about right on the sparkplug wire to ground. Secondary side of coil has a lot higher resistance than the primary side. About 20K or so on the secondary is about right. Condensers are hard to measure with a meter. I just check one way and reverse the leads and see if the needle jumps. That usually means it's all right. If you switch it back and it still doesn't jump then I might replace the condenser. The points contacts should be cleaned if you re-use the points.

 

[Smiles79]

It's kinda hard to ohm the system out with everything connected. I usually take everything apart and ohm the parts separately. I can't tell by the pics, does your saw have a plastic case or magnesium?
Your reading sounds about right on the sparkplug wire to ground. Secondary side of coil has a lot higher resistance than the primary side. About 20K or so on the secondary is about right. Condensers are hard to measure with a meter. I just check one way and reverse the leads and see if the needle jumps. That usually means it's all right. If you switch it back and it still doesn't jump then I might replace the condenser. The points contacts should be cleaned if you re-use the points.

Is that tab that the points and kill switch connect to supposed to have a connection to ground with the kill switch disconnected?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Is that tab that the points and kill switch connect to supposed to have a connection to ground with the kill switch disconnected?

I haven't checked one lately but I imagine it's grounded through winding in coil. One side of coil has to be grounded for it to work.

 

[Okie]

.

Is that tab that the points and kill switch connect to supposed to have a connection to ground with the kill switch disconnected?

Yes, you will get a low reading to ground of about 1 ohm through the Primary coil's windings on a points type magneto or coil.

Additional info: The wire going under the flywheel to the points if disconnected from the coil will allow you to ohm the points open and close as you turn the flywheel slow. When they close the reading should be really low like less than 1 ohm. If a high reading the points are not making good contact. If the reading stays constantly low the wire is shorted to ground or the condenser is leaking. to get a general idea if the condenser is ok is to use a ANALOG ohmmeter (analog mean has a meter movement) and set the ohms to high scale 10K or more and with the points open read the wire going under the flywheel to ground and the meter should kick and start out and the meter hand slowly rise, then after the meter stop moving REVERSE (swap) THE ohmmeter leads and the meter should deflect to ) or go below scale and then start rising towards max ohms again. this is the condenser taking a charge from the Ohmmeter battery. A Digital Multi Meter (DMM) will work one way but not as good of a test as using a Analog. Lots of info on-line about such.
BUT the real best test of a condenser is to replace, because I've seen them have erratic intermittent failures especially when put to work.

I keep a reverse polarity ATOM chip around as a test to replace the points/condenser.
They are not longer made but every once in awhile you will see one for sale. The Atom chips are color coded for different type of engines. I do not remember the colors I have saved for chainsaws as a sub test chip. IF I GET A GOOD RUN WITH A ATOM CHIP I THEN GO IN AND REPLACE THE POINTS AND CONDENSER and that usually gets me another 20 years of use, when all else is correct. Also another thing you will encounter on the Sper two types or any of the saws that have the oil tank pfessurized for the bar oiler is if you see one that really smokes when running, just dump out the bar oil from the tank and test again. If it stop smoking it burning bar oil due to most generally the duckbill or the pulse line check vavle not back checking the oil going into the crankcase and it's really easy to get the oil lines connected bass ackards on the oil pump, so keep a heads up about such. You can find oil line routing diagrams online.
Here is a link about the ignition type atom chips. I've not had any good luck with the Nova II reverse polarity chips, saw would be out of time and or the chip short lived. I've tested the chips and found that just changing the chip of same type can get a different engine response.
Link to the old really good Atom chips for review. One of my chainsaw ATom chips is Brown and I have another color that works good but do not remember which one.
Atom Universal Electronic Ignition Module - Welcome to Pickersyard! (weebly.com)

 

[hotshot]

These little saws have pressurized tanks and it is a must that they are routed correctly or it will suck oil out of the bar oil tank and fill the carburetor full of oil!

Tony, there is no oil connection to the carb on the old points saws, so it won’t fill the carb with oil.

The thick smoke you’ll see if misrouted comes from directly sucking bar oil into the crankcase, or if the pulse line’s duckbill is compromised.

Is that tab that the points and kill switch connect to supposed to have a connection to ground with the kill switch disconnected?

Yes, but the reading should be exactly the same as your #1, the 0.8 ohms. It should not be zero ohms unless the primary winding is shorted to ground. Ground equals the “core”, as you called it.

Your secondary resistance reading is fine at 8 kohms, no way would it be 20k on an old saw coil. See the attached simplified schematic.

 

[Smiles79]

Tony, there is no oil connection to the carb on the old points saws, so it won’t fill the carb with oil.

The thick smoke you’ll see if misrouted comes from directly sucking bar oil into the crankcase, or if the pulse line’s duckbill is compromised.




Yes, but the reading should be exactly the same as your #1, the 0.8 ohms. It should not be zero ohms unless the primary winding is shorted to ground. Ground equals the “core”, as you called it.

Your secondary resistance reading is fine at 8 kohms, no way would it be 20k on an old saw coil. See the attached simplified schematic.

So could this be my problem, an internal short in the coil?

 

[hotshot]

Not likely, those coils rarely fail. Go back & test the primary & secondary windings again as readings 1 & 3 were taken at the same places, confusing.

 

[Smiles79]

Well I got it running! Rechecked the coil and readings #1 & #3 were the same. Not sure what was causing the no spark condition before I started messing with it (the wire coming from the condenser had damaged insulation and I could see the bare wire, so I suspect that was it) but after swapping in the points from the other saw, I didn't check the gap. Set the gap to 0.015 and away we went. I didn't want to rail on it too hard because the kids are asleep, but it sounds like it runs ok.


I noticed a decent amount of what I presume is bar oil on the bench. Not sure if it leaked out when I had it sitting upright or on its side with the flywheel pointed up. Is this normal?