Inductive pickup won't work on JD lawn tractor?

[77cruiser]

Wanting to check the rpm on my X485 John Deere but can't get a reading with a inductive clamp on the plug wire, it works on everything else. What would be so different about the ignition that it won't work? Timing light won't work either.

[Roundybout]

Barring a bad wire or weak ignition the only time I’ve had that happen is when a resistor plug was used in a non-resistor application. No clue why though. Does that have the Kawasaki engine? Does it work on the other plug wire?

[Tuner]

Did you try turning the inductive pickup over 180 deg? Perhaps "arrow toward plug" should be "arrow away from plug" ?? Try a wider plug gap. Is the plug fouled at all? Some small engine ignition systems are an example of just how little energy is actually necessary to initiate combustion in gasoline.

[Firedome8]

If you can replace wire with a carbon core resistance wire.

[77cruiser]

It's a Kawasaki 25hp.
The wire is made into the coil.
Tried flipping the pickup over.
Never tried the other side.
I'll try opening the plug gap.
Not sure if they are resister plugs or not.
I doesn't have a very powerful spark, hooked a tester up & it would barely jump an 1/8 inch.

[Truckedup]

V twin with waste spark ? if the coil has one plug in primary wire and another to the coil frame it's likely a CDI flywheel magneto..It may be AC if that matters...

[77cruiser]

Barring a bad wire or weak ignition the only time I’ve had that happen is when a resistor plug was used in a non-resistor application. No clue why though. Does that have the Kawasaki engine? Does it work on the other plug wire?

Worked on the other side. Thanks!