Does the installation of an advancing armature instead of a standard armature have the potential to cause kickback?

The installation of an advancing armature can indeed cause kickback. Kickback is a common phenomenon in small engines, especially during the starting phase, where the engine recoils suddenly and forcefully in the opposite direction due to the ignition timing being too advanced.

An advancing armature is designed to alter the ignition timing as the engine speeds up, optimizing performance. However, if the armature advances the timing too much at low speeds, it may ignite the fuel-air mixture prematurely, resulting in a strong backfire when the engine is started or if it stalls. This premature ignition can lead to increased pressure in the combustion chamber that can cause the engine to rotate backward or “kick back” against the starting mechanism.

Standard armatures do not have this advancing feature and are typically set to a single ignition timing point, which mitigates the risk of such kickback under normal operating conditions. Thus, the potential for kickback is indeed higher with an advancing armature compared to a standard one.