I dug out my old Sun light that I paid $5 for and gave it a try. We tried several different digital timing lights and all said the same thing-they said that I was about 20 degrees too high even though the motor ran like it was timed pretty close to perfect.Ī TC member then recommended that I use an older analog timing light. I changed timing tabs, checked TDC, seperated my wires, rechecked my balancer, etc and the motor was always way too far advanced (according to the timing light). I installed a 383 with MSD HEI and we had a heck of time trying to set the timing with a digital dial back light-it was always about 20 degrees too far advanced. Doesnt seem like it would start well with mid 30s initial, but I guess that wouldn't be different than running a locked out distributor at same setting, correct. Seems unlikely to me that the motor would run well, at least for very long with total advances up in the 50s. Where I'm headed is to try to determine if this is just a light issue, a situation where my inductive lights give false readings due to the MSD multiple spart system, BEFORE I spring for a big dollar MSD light. MSD also says to keep the twisted distributor wires away from all other wires, which I have not done, will change that to see if that makes a difference in light issue. I have read other posts from guys who have stated same thing. I read in the MSD book that spark duration is 20 degrees with the MSD multiple spart setup, except at high RPMS, MY timing seems to read about 20 degrees high with both of my timing lights. When I set timing at 18 initial, engine runs okay, but seems retarted, If I turn the distributor to advance it more, it runs much smoother, starts okay still without kickback, and the light will show about 34-36 degrees initial and FIFTY FOUR or so total. MSD 6AL, MSD Pro-Billet, mechanical advance only, 18 degrees initial, 18 degrees mechanical, no vacuum. And learning how to get your old car running like it just rolled off the assembly line is priceless.Correct balancer top dead center was established correctly at assembly, cam was degreed in, all double and triple checked. If all this tech talk has intimidated you, don’t fear-timing lights, even the ones with lots of features, are easy to use and last for years and years. Another bonus is customer support manned by people who know how to use the product. It should also be reasonably well-made, easy to use, and come with clear, understandable instructions. It should come from a known, established company that stands behind its product with a warranty. When you’re purchasing, apply the same general principles as when you’re buying anything you trust your life and automotive investment with. We’ve discussed most of the possible features you’ll find in the product descriptions above, so give them a read. How about if you’ll be using it outside or under bright lighting? You’ll want an extra-bright bulb, and it should probably be adjustable, to help you work in tight spaces. Vintage car or motorcycle? Again, make sure it works with that vehicle’s electrical system, and you probably won’t need the OBD reader. Are you using it on gardening power tools? Make sure it’s compatible with their system voltages. There are a lot of features in modern timing lights, so don’t pay for the ones you won’t use! Think about what you’ll use it for and work from there. It’s also handy to find bad plugs, ignition coils, or other associated components. It plugs in between the plug wire and your plug and shows a nice, strong light. If you don’t want to mess with bare sparks jumping around (and they can be hard to see in direct sunlight), try this Ram-Pro ignition tester. You then adjust the distributor to get the light to come on at TDC.Īlmost any test lamp will work… heck, we’ve made one with a tail-light bulb, electrical tape, and some extra wire! You can also just take that numero-uno spark plug out (still connected to its lead) and use that. How simple? Well, any test lamp with alligator clips will do-get your engine to top dead center (TDC) on the number-one piston (if you don’t know what we’re talking about you probably don’t need a timing light), and then ground the black (ground) wire of the test lamp on something metal and hold the pointy part of the test light to the number-one contact in the distributor. Whatever the reason, there is a way you can set or check timing with a very simple tool. Maybe you’re stuck at the side of the road with a loose distributor cap, or maybe you just want to see if you can get an old engine running. There are times when you don’t need to check total advance or other conditions-you just need to know if you’re in the ballpark.
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