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1981 Ski-Doo Citation 4500/ no spark??

M
Dec 15, 2008
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Restoring the above mentioned sled and it has no spark, the belly pan was one big mouse nest so i don't know what the problem is. pulled the motor and all looked fine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!!
 
9
Dec 15, 2008
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I think there's an ignition coil on those. You might just need to take the flywheel off and lightly sand the outside edge of the coils where the magnets of the flywheel pass by them. Could have got rusty if it sat long.
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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how exactly do I go about taking the flywheel off?? I took the starter housing and oil pump off, but I can't seem to undo the nut thats holding the flywheel on without breaking a perfectly good socket wrench!!
 
B
If you use a 1/2" drive socket, it shouldn't break unless you excessively torque it clockwise. Don't use an impact wrench as it will damage bearings. On those engines, Skidoo made a hardened pin that is inserted thru the pulse line fitting on the crank case, slipping into a pre-drilled hole in one of the throws of the crankshaft. This will secure the crankshaft so that you can remove flywheel nuts & clutch bolts.
Citations started using CDI ignition in 1982, so you may have to service your points and/or condenser.
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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where is the hole located in the crankshaft?? The only reason I can't seem to find it, is because I don't know where to look. Is it possible the coil is shot?? One of my friends keeps insisting that if I just buy a new coil then the whole thing will be like new.
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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figured it out!! The magnets on the inside of the flywheel were all rusty and full of dirt. cleaned it out and she has spark like the first day it was made...:)
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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had spark when it was out of the sled, but today i put it back in and it is doing the same thing it was when I took it out. By the way, there is a connector box near the voltage regulator that looks like it may be important. It isn't connected to anything and is this the source of the problem?? Or are these 4 wires just for the tach?
 
B
Was the connector box plugged into anything before? How many wires does it have? The only "box" other than the voltage regulator is the CDI box, which would only be on machines with CDI ignition. Is there a change this is not the original engine?
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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the box has 4 wires, but we figured out that it was for the tach. I am fairly certain that this is the original motor. By the way, is there a possibility that one of the wires may have come off the inside of the magneto?? If this is not it, I'm wondering if it isn't the white igniton box mounted on the side. Is there any way to test one of these without putting it on another sled
 
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B
It's possible a wire may have come off the mag coil but not likely. Its more likely that your ignition circuit is grounded. Test your mag wires for continuity, then see if the mag is throwing any voltage while rotating the crankshaft. Make sure the kill switch, tether cord button, or ignition switch wiring aren't shorting the circuit to ground. Check the ignition coil's 2 input wires for continuity. One of the 2 wires should be grounded. If the ignition system is working, you should see a nice blue spark when you pull the engine over while checking the plugs. Be sure to hold the plug you are testing against a head bolt or other good ground. If you still get nothing, then I suggest you check your points as they may be dirty (or rusty). New points & condenser are easy to find, but you'll need a flywheel puller to get at them. It is possible that the ignition coil or mag coil could be faulty internally, but not likely - if you just recently had a spark. When they do fail, its usually after being very hot.
Good luck
 
M
Dec 15, 2008
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where is a possible place that the ignition wire could be grounded? went through the switches and they all looked fine. I'm wondering if where the wire comes off the mag and comes out through the crankcase if it isn't grounding there??
 
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