starting 1950s johnson seahorse

[Afisherman]

I just picked up a 5 horse Johnson seahorse this weekend and have been trying to get it to start. So far I have replace the plugs and cleaned out the tank and cleaned the carb. I am fairly new to all of this but I think my problem is not getting good spark. When I turn the motor over I can touch the end of the plug wires and get shocked pretty good, but when I put a plug on, I cannot see any spark being made. Do I need to have a tester or should I see spark? Also, I have read that if I clean the coils it should help? If anyone has any experience with these motors and is willing to share it would be appreciated.
Thanks again.

[rj]

You should be able to see a good spark jump the gap when motor is turned over, I have several motors of that vintage , and without exception , they all needed new coils,points & condensors to fire effectivly

if you are sure that fire is your problem, pull the flywheel & start checking the components, if they are original they are most likley to be bad

[flycatcher]

Don't forget to have the end of the spark plug touching a ground on the engine (obvious, I know, but worth mentioning. Testing in a dark environment makes it easier to see the spark.