OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Tecumseh / Kirby Engines Ignition module on Kirby Tecumseh

Hi All forum members
For the last 12 months I have been fixing up/restoring a Kirby-Tecumseh KAV74 2 stroke mower, with the name “Fairway” on the front.
After struggling to get a spark from the points and condenser ignition(with new condenser AND points), I decided it might be easier to put on an electronic ignition module.
Which I did.
The coil tests out at ~9k ohms so that’s ok.
The module is sold as being for a Powertorque engine, as we know, also 2 stroke, but slightly more displacement than the KAV. Question is will it work properly and spark ok??

From memory the same modules work a chainsaw, so yes, this shouldn't be a problem at all.
Even the Powertorque has a more intense spark with the later integrated type module, so no problem.

Thanks mower freak for responding to my forum query.
Great to know and communicate with fellow mower enthusiasts. I have approx 20 Powertorque mowers of various vintages, 10 or so Briggs, and 2 Tecumseh mowers.
I tried the module out and when holding the spark wire, it gives a bit of a tingle, but nowhere near the jolt of a well sparking Powertorque.(I had one run where spark was so good, it ran quite well with no connection between plug and wire-just jumping a 1cm gap thru air, for 5 minutes!).
So what next would be the question. It’s producing current, but weak, and not enough to jump the gap of the correct plug.
My thought was to find a better coil, with as low resistance as possible-I have a 5 k ohm one to try, and see how that goes.

You were correct about the ignition module working on a variety of 2 stroke engines.

I then changed the coil from the original, 50 year old one with 9 k ohm resistance to a new one with 5 k ohm resistance; I finally had good spark at the plug.

Tried to fire her up, no go.

Took off air filter, sprayed in some starter fluid(ether), and tried again. BINGO- ran for 2 seconds. Joy oh joy..
Put back the air cleaner and snorkel, tried again, and she’s all good.
Throttle control works, and a lot of smoke follows.
A minute later, clean running no smoke.
Roaring like a train.
God I am pleased. After 12 months, it’s finally going again..
I have pictures too. Will post them also.

You were correct about the fact that the coil would work on a different type of engine- whether mower, chainsaw or other.

As I thought, the lower resistance coil made all the difference in producing spark.

So so pleased about that.
I initially bought the ignition module to try out on a PT Victa, but that did not eventuate, and when attempts at getting the points to go, failed, I thought it was worth the conversion.
Glad I did.
Do you know how to upload photos, other than via a web adress? When I click on the photo icon in the Full Editor, it requests a HTML adress. My photos are simply on my phone.

Glad I put you on the right track, and these electronic ignition conversions are easy to do and make for more reliable worry free starting.

As for pictures I downloaded a free picture reducer app. Mine's called, weirdly enough, photo and picture resizer. I then click the attachment manager below the posting panel which lets you attach photos from your phone or computer.

Thank you again mowerfreak, as your confidence in those electronic modules gave me the last bit of enthusiasm needed to finally cross the finish line on this mower resto. After 12 months of off again/on again work on it, and not being able to get a spark, my patience with her was getting so thin I was going to give up. Then you insisted the ignition modules work, I went back to try again. Somehow I was holding the spark wire, while cranking, and received a tingle in the hand. New coil of lower resistance and a good spark and there I was. So pleased to have it running after all that effort. No catcher was with it at the tip, but that’s OK.

The beauty is you can just leave the points behind and move one of the wires over to the module and you're away.

It was NormK, who hasn't posted for a quite a while, who advocated doing it this way. Simple and quick upgrade.

So happy to have been a help in this case.

That's a vivid shade of blue with a hint of purple about it that's always intrigued me since I was in infants school. Is that the original colour?

I like the green Camry lurking in the background. That's their best colour IMO.

The beauty is you can just leave the points there and cut a wire to disconnect it and plug the other into the module and you're away.

It was NormK, who hasn't posted here for a while, who advocated doing this. An easy fix and upgrade.

So happy to have been a help in this case.

That's a rich shade of blue. Is that the original colour?

I like the green Camry lurking in the background. I've always thought it's that bodyshell's best colour.
Is it the 3.0 quad cam V6?

Hi Mowerfreak
The suggestion by NormK is essentially what I did- just cut the wire to breaker points, and wire in the module. However, there wasn’t enough room for the module in there, so had to take the moveable arm out. It’s been kept if one day someone wants to take it back to points.T the original colour. I stumbled upon some cheap spray paints from China at my local $2 shop. I wasn’t expecting too much, but amazingly, they have been BY FAR the best paints I have used,and that’s a lot. Deep rich colours, almost impossible to get runs, it comes out nice and thick, just beautiful. Beats the well known brands by a country mile.
The blue is not original- it was so rusty, I really don’t recall the original as it was not prominent.
I wish the Camry was a V6. It’s a 2.2 litre 4. Goes ok, but not like a 6 cyl..

Wish I could check those paints out. The range of ready bought spray paint colours and their quality in this country are pathetic. Rustoleum have been buying out smaller spray paint manufacturers here and offer a paltry amount of colours of their own product range on the Australian market. Even Bunnings New Zealand has a particular yellow in their range I wanted (golden sunset) that's available in the states, but not here.
I glimpsed loads of Rustoleum shades in a YouTube video of a Walmart you don't see here.

Regards the Camry, the V6 is a great engine (I drove someone's Avalon once), but you do pay at the pump for that performance whereas the four gets the job done reliably and comfortably with less fuel. I appreciate engines like that more now.