how to test your ignition ?

[mantaray]

Without tools

http://www.gaskrank.tv/tv/motorrad-fun/wie-geht-das-zuendkerze-und-kerzenstecker-testen-brrrzzzll.htm

[lucian]

I guess we have spark.

[redrider]

Except for the brain pan.

[Chuck in Indiana]

I know a kid that decided to shut off a Gravely tractor by peeing on the spark plug..

[Dean Rose]

I know a kid that decided to shut off a Gravely tractor by peeing on the spark plug..

I'll bet he didn't do that again.

Dean

[Chuck in Indiana]

I'll bet he didn't do that again.

Dean

That's a fact..

[ohiorider]

That old Fairbanks Morse magneto packed a bit of a wollop!  Never thought about peeing on one, but did touch the metal plug cap with a screwdriver before getting it grounded to the head!

[Doug McLaren]

I can remember a tech lesson at school about 1970, the teacher was explaining magnetos to us, he got a few of us to hold hands and with the first in the chain holding the HT lead, flipped it over.

Imagine that happening nowadays.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Gibby, the old A&P that broke me in on airplanes used to test mags and leads by holding each lead in turn and snapping the impulse coupler. Click "Oh, that's a good one." Click "Oh, that's a good one, etc.  He said you get used to it. Dunno, never tried it. 

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Truth, I use my tongue to set timing on old points condenser ignition bikes.
 I always,( well almost always), disconnect the condenser before putting the wires to my tongue
  and rotating the crank while watching the timing marks.
 Once I failed to disconnect first and when the crank passed the mark my eyes worked as a strobe light.

[v7john]

Back in the 70s my old RD400 was running on one cylinder. My dad kicked the bike over while I held the plug cap with the plug against the engine watching for a spark. As I squatted beside the bike I balanced myself by holding the metal upright of the carport. I got several good jolts. For a moment I couldn't speak and he kicked it over again for good measure. Diagnosis was faulty metal-screened plug cap.

Years before he lost his eyebrows checking for a spark on a sidevalve Ford when the plug lit the unburnt fuel in the flooded cylinder.

[DARKHORSE]

Tested my ignition on my Husqvarna dirt bike while running wide open on its side while spinning around in circles trying to pull the plug wire off to get the damn thing stopped. seems the screws came out the top of the carb and let the slide run wide open. maybe thats why i write so funny till this day.

[jbell]

A good test for a car coil is to have a helper grab the coil lead, crank the starter and the number of times he bangs his head on the inside of the hood before he lets go of the lead times 10,000 will give a pretty close estimate on coil output.