I can think of a way to resolve this somewhat peacefully.

1)  Remove the spark plug and timing cover.
2)  Place a 17mm socket and breaker bar on the left end of the crank through the timing cover access hole, and rotate the cranshaft until the timing marks are aligned...this is where the piston is at the top of the stroke.
3)  Put the spark plug back into the wire, and grip the spark plug tightly in your left hand.
4)  With your right hand turn on the ignition - then note the position of the breaker bar handle.  Rotate the crankshaft briskly, and then take notice of whether you twitch violently with every rotation of the crankshaft - or just every 2nd rotation!
 

That's just plain mean Dave

I'm really sensitive to electric shock.... I would prolly pee my shorts every time it came around LOL

My uncle was working on a 1910 Stoddard Dayton car he has.  It had not run in years, and he wanted to check the compression before he got too far along.  The car has those massive spark plugs, and his compression gauge was the kind that has the big rubber tip and you have to hold it in the hole tightly.  He had my aunt hold the compression gauge in the hole....while he grabbed the crank and turned the engine over (2 years before Charles Kettering developed the electric starter and put it in a Cadillac).  Unfortunately he had the ignition switch on, and my aunt happened to be touching the spark plug wire while holding onto the gauge.....and the magneto made a spark and got her good.  About 10 years has passed since that day - but if you bring up the subject she will still cuss like a sailor for a few minutes.

While I was in magneto class in my aviation school we used to hook up mags with impulse couplers to steel stools and waited till someone sat down. Kinda like a capacitor except you have to rotate it. Then across the room they go.

Drestakil wrote on 10/20/15 at 05:32:05:


Ya gotta 'splain that one!

Kris01 wrote on 10/20/15 at 18:54:21:



It depends on what you're adding. If you have 1 pile of dirt to your left and 1 pile of dirt to your right, that's 2 piles of dirt. 1 and 1 equal 2. If you add the piles of dirt together, you end up with 1 bigger pile of dirt. 1 pile of dirt + 1 pile of dirt equal 1 pile of dirt. In this case, the only way 1 and 1 equal 2 is if you don't add them together.

Dave wrote on 10/20/15 at 05:26:33:


as a kid did something like that with a lawn mower