MOPED ARMY

If you've got spark at the plug, it shouldn't be the condenser... you say you put dielectric grease on the spark plug 'tip'... you mean where the plug lead and cap go on right?.... You say you cleaned the carb real good, does that mean you removed the float bowl and removed the pilot jet and the main jet (both brass) and held them up to the light to see if they are clear?... if not you have to do that... To see if a clogged carburetor jet is the problem, get the moped ready to start and squirt some gas directly into the carb and try to start it and ride... if it starts and goes about 50 feet and dies, then you have a clogged carb jet.... clean them.... let us know what works.

First of all, have you tried a new spark plug?.....2nd... you know its a 2-stroke and you have to mix the gas with 2-stroke oil..right? .....Next... since you are mechanically inclined, go ahead and pull the head and cyl off and take a look at the piston and bore to see what kind of shape they are in.... because if you've got everything else, it could be low compression from old age or more likely a kid didn't use oil in the gas........lastly, if you have to get the flywheel off... a "pittman arm puller" for a car will sometimes work for getting it off.... can prolly rent it for $5...try that stuff and get back

alright..today i took the magneto flywheel off (before i looked at these replies). I checked ignition coil primary and secondary windings, spark plug wire resistance, condenser, and points and they all seem to check out ok. i found a washer stuck magnetically and rusted on the magnet of the flywheel.. i think this might have knocked against the stator and changed the timing.. i got the washer off and set the timing to 1.5mm before top dead center (or as near as i could get). with high hopes, i cranked the engine again..no luck still. it sounds and feels like theres compression. i hear a nice putt putt as i turn the flywheel and if i put my thumb over the spark plug hole i can feel it. but, tomarrow i will take off the cylinder head and take a peak inside (btw, what's the proper way of cleaning carbon deposits off the cylinder sides without scratching it? very fine steel wool?). im thinking i might just want to go ahead and buy a gasket set and some piston rings and such and attempt to rebuild the thing.. i'd like to get it running before school starts up (im sick of taking the bus). there is a decompressor valve on the engine. is there any way i could test this once i have the head off? oh yeah.. in reply to fred's oil stuff. when i got the moped i poured a tad bit of 2stroke oil into the spark plug hole (it was bone dry inside there) before i turned the engine and i have a 25:1 gas:oil ratio in the tank (normal operating is 50:1 but i figure it'd be better to run on 25:1 for the first half tank to make sure it gets lubed up properly). wow.. who knew this would be such a project to get this started.. but of course i am having some fun putzing around. Thanks for all your help btw..it's always nice to have someone to throw ideas at.

If the decompression valve on the cylinderhead is leaking, it's usually because it's jammed open or blocked by dirt and carbon deposits. Open the valve and drown the thing in WD40, keep opening an closing the valve for a minute or two and give it another squirt of WD40 every now and then. The dirt and carbon will come loose and will be washed off by the WD40. There's also some kind of cleaningspray available called "powerclaen", I haven't used this myself (yet) but I've seen it in action, one squirt and a thick layer of grease and dirt will be washed off immediatle. This usually solves the problem of decopression valves, but if it's leaking because of something else (like the previous owner and his obsession of prying things open with a screwdriver), you may have to replace the decompressionvalve or even the whole cylinderhead, it will depend on the damage.