How do you hook up this timing light?

[bmwpower]

Not a DC inductive light right? Where do you hook up the red clip?

 

[ImportTuner]

This is one of the early timing lights I've had .. There is a spring that goes between the #1 spark plug and spark plug wire .. the red lead clamps onto the spring ..

 

[bmwpower]

This is one of the early timing lights I've had .. There is a spring that goes between the #1 spark plug and spark plug wire .. the red lead clamps onto the spring ..

Spring?? If I don't have the spring...?

 

[ImportTuner]

Spring?? If I don't have the spring...?

Not sure; when the inductive timing lights came out, the direct connection one's were obsoleted ..

 

[nissan_crawler]

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pts/1082146595.html

 

[Merkava_4]

Man I miss timing lights ... it would always amaze me how the line on the harmonic balancer would stay still even though I knew the balancer was turning.

 

[bmwpower]

Man I miss timing lights ... it would always amaze me how the line on the harmonic balancer would stay still even though I knew the balancer was turning.

Good for cheap strobe light in the garage if you turn the lights out.

 

[autoace]

Those were before my time I never used one like that!

 

[-B-]

I no longer remember such a sad thing to admit.

 

[nissan_crawler]

I've used them, but much prefer a mag pickup with advance. It's just so much easier to set timing to 0*.

 

[Danglerb]

The one I had you wired in series with the #1 plug wire, so the ignition fires the flash. I would not use one like that unless I was being paid by the hour.

 

[Hawk321]

Maybe on clamp 4?

 

[Rickster]

I'll check if I have an extra spring in my old timing light case. I have a couple of this style in the garage somewhere and a couple of the inductive pick-up ones.

 

[Tool Pants]

My first timing light from 100 years ago was not even that fancy. Just a bulb in a black plastic housing. I dont think it was even battery powered. As others have said you need the spring.

You pull the #1 wire out of the cap and stick the spring in the hole. The other end of the spring is connected to the wire you just removed. Then the red clamp goes on the spring. That way when the #1 plug fires it flashes the light.

 

[goodfellow]

Wow -- it's getting pretty interesting when only a few guys remember how to hook up a standard timing light. Those Penske lights were a Sears staple. They must have sold hundreds of thousands in the 1970's. It was one of the most afordable "professional quality" timing lights at the time. I'm not sure if the Pensle lights ever came with an advance.

It had a bright white xenon bulb which was a huge improvement over the older yellow/orange neon bulbs in the older tube lights; which were hardly noticeable in broad daylight. That's a nice piece of automotive history.

BTW --- BMW -- you can take any small stiff spring that will fit on the end of the #1 spark plug, and that will also allow the plug wire to attach securely to the other end. Then just clip the red lead to the middle of the spring.

 

[Keep]

Wow -- it's getting pretty interesting when only a few guys remember how to hook up a standard timing light. Those Penske lights were a Sears staple. They must have sold hundreds of thousands in the 1970's. It was one of the most afordable "professional quality" timing lights at the time. I'm not sure if the Pensle lights ever came with an advance.

I think you meant "pretty scary" of course the same folks ***** that a parts counter person does not know what part they need for their 1940 Ford!

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I have one of these Penske direct connection lights with the "spring" and also the identical looking one with the induction pickup. Also have an old neon timing light from the early 1950's.

Charles

 

[Vicegrip]

Wow -- it's getting pretty interesting when only a few guys remember how to hook up a standard timing light. Those Penske lights were a Sears staple. They must have sold hundreds of thousands in the 1970's. It was one of the most afordable "professional quality" timing lights at the time. I'm not sure if the Pensle lights ever came with an advance.

It had a bright white xenon bulb which was a huge improvement over the older yellow/orange neon bulbs in the older tube lights; which were hardly noticeable in broad daylight. That's a nice piece of automotive history.

BTW --- BMW -- you can take any small stiff spring that will fit on the end of the #1 spark plug, and that will also allow the plug wire to attach securely to the other end. Then just clip the red lead to the middle of the spring.

I still have one or two in the bottom of the tool box junk drawer. Got many a fumblucution over the years hooking and unhooking while the motor was running. Still use timing lights but have moved on to a digital inductive with advance and RPM.

let me know if you can find a connector spring I should have one or two I will never use.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Man, a thread like this really makes me feel old! (46) But then I still have three vehicles I can use a light like that on that are my drivers!

 

[MarkH]

I used one of these last week. They still do work well. Mine I bought when I was in my very early teens in the 1970's.

Push back on the red clip that does not go to the battery. You will find a clip underneath it. I do not know why they covered it, mine has been exposed since the 1970's. When these were designed a number of older plug wires did not have boots on the so the attachment was easy. On those with boots there was in the package an adapter you put between the plug and the wire to attach your clip to.

I like most people lost my clip almost instantly. I have improvised over the years. currently I am using a Lisle spark checker or whatever it is called with a coil wire from a Firebird when I need it. I clip on to the exposed metal.

I use this one monthly fixing goofs from people who forgot to undo the wire you need to before timing a car or in one case reminding me of old times the vacuum. I get lots of stares as I explain, I will replace it when it breaks.

 

[MarkH]

These did not have advance, in fact with the state of electronics on cars at that time it will not work. You played with the advance by manually modifying and checking with the light.

I should have said I lost the adapter instantly. I did look kinda like a spring.

This was one of the first inexpensive lights that really gave you enough light to time in sunlight. Before getting it I had to use an old neon one that I had to put a tarp over me and the engine each time I did a combine out in the yard. You also had to turn the shop lights off when I did things indoor with the old neon ones too.

 

[billymade]

According to this thread (a former Actron employee says that); many of the parts for the earlier timing lights are still available through actron who apparently was the OEM for many of these early and current units(Craftsmen, Sun, MSD (Yes that MSD), Penske, Kal Equip, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, and now OTC timing lights).!
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4705310&Main=4701715

Here is Actronics parts/service info:
http://www.actron.com/parts_repair.php

 

[bmwpower]

Cool Thanks guys. I'm just going to sell it. Don't have a real need for it since I have 1-2 inductive models.

 

[speed bump]

Next thing that will happen is threads asking what a dwell meter is.

 

[bmwpower]

Next thing that will happen is threads asking what a dwell meter is.

Yea, so what?

 

[Tim Cowan]

I'm suprised that nobody said they kept an ice pick in their toolbox as standard equiptment as a mate to the timing light and you just jobe into edge of the #1 plug boot or into the distributor cap position #1. I have an old neon, Sun, and SO and never had an induction model. I quit wrenching in 1978 to start a carreer as a phoneman with Bell.

 

[MarkH]

We did not do that. Thought we may damage the boots.

We did always keep and still do in the pickups, trucks, etc that have points as well as in most toolboxes, a matchbook. Purpose if you have to replace or set points and you do not have a feeler gauge. We got home many times or kept a machine in the field with a matchbox setting.

That and the 20ml syringe with a 16 gauge needle on it confuse most of our younger employees.

 

[-B-]

I'm suprised that nobody said they kept an ice pick in their toolbox as standard equiptment as a mate to the timing light and you just jobe into edge of the #1 plug boot or into the distributor cap position #1. I have an old neon, Sun, and SO and never had an induction model. I quit wrenching in 1978 to start a carreer as a phoneman with Bell.

I consider and ice pic/ awl/ straight probe and integral tool that is in all of my tool boxes , I consider it a common tool all should have.

 

[e-tek]

Great thread!! Really shows the difference between us older guys (Yes, if you're over 40 your "older"!!) and the young bucks!!!
I too have an old timing light. I read about newer inductive models in the mags, but haven't tried one, since the only vehicles I work on are older thatn 74! Our new cars are dealer-service only...
Tell me about these inductive ones with mag pickup!!

 

[nissan_crawler]

That and the 20ml syringe with a 16 gauge needle on it confuse most of our younger employees.

distributor cam?

Great thread!! Really shows the difference between us older guys (Yes, if you're over 40 your "older"!!) and the young bucks!!!
I too have an old timing light. I read about newer inductive models in the mags, but haven't tried one, since the only vehicles I work on are older thatn 74! Our new cars are dealer-service only...
Tell me about these inductive ones with mag pickup!!

Hey now, I'm only 26 and have used them many times.

The inductive ones have a "notch" in the clamp the wire sets in, just open the spring loaded clamp, slide the wire in, and you're done.

If it had advance, you can just set the dial on the gun to your timing, then time your car to 0*, which is WAY easier imho, especially if you're dealing with a race car with no vacuum, fixed weights, etc., and what you time is the final time.

They're also handy if you think you have a weird spark issue, you can just clamp them from wire to wire with the car running, and check quickly.

I actually converted my racecar back to a points ignition setup, because I had no alternator.

 

[MarkH]

You did hit what we had in the syringe.

It had multiple purposes. The most common is keeping the machines going in the field. We have a rule, all of the sealed bearings on combines, swathers, balers, beet lifters, etc are checked hourly. If you find one that is getting hot, it is getting ready to die. Pain in the neck to replace in the field and expensive to pull the machine off the line. So you take the nail sitting next to it and break the bearings protective seal and oil it hourly.

That has always gotten us through the day. The next day we hand out a 14 gauge needle with a grease zerk on it. The faulty bearing is greased hourly until the weather goes bad. Then when you get a chance you pull it in and replace the bearing. A pain but we have had machines go for a week without dying following this method until we could get a weather downtime. Really helped uptime since we do not go for new paint that often.

On the matchbooks, when we ran JD 105's and 95's they were hard on points so occasionally they would just die when running at full power the points spring was always broken. So we set the points at least a couple times a season with matchbooks

Thankful to see the end of gas combines in the 80's.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Wow, some of you guys are really old!

 

[goodfellow]

Wow, some of you guys are really old!

No need to rub it in. I'm reminded of that fact every morning at 6:00AM when I try to get my aging bones out of bed. The will is there, but the body is slow to respond.

 

[66HertzClone]

I that same light and still use it, not on my DD of course.

 

[ImportTuner]

Wow, some of you guys are really old!

Well Thanks You, sonny ...

 

[Steve V.]

Wow, some of you guys are really old!

You keep talking like that and we're liable to throw some round fuses at you.

Now, off to my garage to look at my timing light and my dwell meter.



Steve

 

[speed bump]

I that same light and still use it, not on my DD of course.

Can't say as I have this type of light but other than a diesel I can say I have never owned a DD that didn't need a timing light. Heck both of my current daily drivers need dwell meters.

You keep talking like that and we're liable to throw some round fuses at you.

Now, off to my garage to look at my timing light and my dwell meter.



Steve

They make them any other way than round?

 

[walrus]

On the matchbooks, when we ran JD 105's and 95's they were hard on points so occasionally they would just die when running at full power the points spring was always broken. So we set the points at least a couple times a season with matchbooks.

Same with 60s fords

 

[buening]

I have a very similar light and do not have the spring. I just remove the spark plug wire, take a smaller gauge wire with the end stripped and wrap it around the spark plug tip, then put the plug wire back on over the plug and wire, then use the alligator clip on the light to connect to the wire. This prevents the spring from arcing against the block, and you can make the wire as long as you want My ford has the #1 cyl on the drivers side with the timing pointer on the drivers side. Extra length comes in handy

 

[bmwpower]

I have a very similar light and do not have the spring. I just remove the spark plug wire, take a smaller gauge wire with the end stripped and wrap it around the spark plug tip, then put the plug wire back on over the plug and wire, then use the alligator clip on the light to connect to the wire. This prevents the spring from arcing against the block, and you can make the wire as long as you want My ford has the #1 cyl on the drivers side with the timing pointer on the drivers side. Extra length comes in handy

Thanks buening. Used your method.

My timing light works.