The first time that I messed with a mini Mac, I wanted to make sure that the ignition was working right since I had just replaced the capacitor and cleaned the points. I had the bright idea to try to get it to pop off while holding the engine in my hands before I put it all back in the case. I squirted a little bit of fuel into it, chucked a socket in the electric drill, and turned it over using the flywheel nut. The thing started and did a lot more than just pop off. It gained speed as it went lean, and ran for about 15 seconds. That 15 seconds felt like an eternity as the thing got hotter, faster, and louder in my bare hand. I tried to put it down, but it was difficult to move around with one hand because of the gyroscopic effect of the rotating mass. The drill was still in my other hand. I decided that if it continued to run for just a couple more seconds, I would throw the engine down on the floor. Just when I was about to, it stopped running. I set it down quick on the bench but my fingers were still slightly burnt. I cussed out loud to the room, and looked around to see if anyone was watching. What a dumb idea. I’ll never do that again!
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