Need a little help with spark
 

My 2146 ran fine yesterday. Today it won't start. Crank and crank and nothing. I checked the gas tank, yep it's in there. Pulled the plug and cranked while grounding it, lots of spark. Must be fuel I say. I pulled the carb and disconnected the fuel hose and cranked it. Great fuel flow all over my floor. Pulled the bowl off the carb and it looks clean so I ran some carb cleaner in and around it and put it all back together. Checked compression, got 150 psi. So I scratch my head and go back to the plug and no spark. I went and got a new plug and still no spark. Checked the yellow wire with an ohm meter and it is not grounded unless the key is off. Checked ohms through the coil from the spark plug connection to the engine block and I got 9.67 ohms. Does this mean a good or bad coil? What else could it be?

So it initially had spark and now has no spark. Do you think you may have a wire shorting out? If it does have spark, spark has to be present at the proper time. I has a B & S engine that had fuel, compression and ignition. When I took the flywheel off, I found I had a sheared key way. The flywheel spun with the crank, but delivery of the spark was way off and it would not run. A new keyway restored proper operation.

Yes, it had spark when I first checked for it. I fiddled with the spark plug and the carburetor. Now nothing. That's why I'm looking at the coil. How do you test a coil? The yellow wire is the one that if grounded it kills the engine. It is not grounded according to my ohm meter. Isn't the ignition system that simple on these engines? Spin the flywheel and it makes fire unless grounded out?

I've just googled a 2146 Cub Cadet. From what I've found, it appears it came with a 14HP Linamar 388cc 1-cyl gasoline. If that is the case, I don't have any ezperience with Linamar engines.

The 2146 has a Linamar ZX390 engine in it. The Linamar has a Magneto Ignition System.

IF....you have spark, then the Ignition (Magneto) Coil is NOT the issue.

I took a chance and ordered a coil. I couldn't find a way to test it to be certain it was bad but I just couldn't figure anything else and eliminated all other possibilities. Turns out I was right. It was $70 well spent. I put the new coil on and it fired right up. Thanks to those that tried to help.