RIP Sears Analyzer?

[ALinCarolina]

I bought this Sears engine analyzer new in the mid 70s and it has served me well. I have been restoring my air cooled bug and finally got it running. Warmed it up yesterday and needed to check dwell and timing. This instrument worked a few weeks ago but now the needle pegs all the way left or right whether I got it switched to dwell, high or low rpm.
Any chance it is something easy to fix? If it finally has given up at least I got my money's worth.
/Users/Allan/Desktop/IMG_3561.jpg

 

[mikegt4]

I bought one of those back in the late 1960's. They were great for diagnosing problems with the points ignitions and generators of the day. It worked great until I loaned it to my BIL in the 1980's and it hasn't worked correctly since, just sits on a shelf gathering dust.
Unless you find an electronics hobbyist looking for a challenge, sorry to say, it probably won't live again.

 

[bob15]

Take the back cover off it and try cleaning the switches and any connectors with Deoxit. I believe you can get the stuff through amazon. I had to do it with mine a couple weeks ago. After you spray it, you must cycle the switch 40-50 times to help with the cleaning process.

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1602/.f

 

[finn]

I have one of those!.........somewhere. Haven’t the foggiest idea where it is, though.

 

[driftpin]

I have an older version of that, I bought new, still works, though I haven't had much use for it. Only points vehicles I have are motorcycles.

Cleaning the switches may work, open the back, see if some critter in there shorted itself into neverland.

 

[VocaTexas]

I bought one of those a few years ago at a swap meet. It works great on the old pickups I drive. Good luck getting yours going again.

 

[royesses]

I just repaired 2 of the next model up with 4 inputs. One had a shorted instrumentation amplifier, an ICL7611 8 pin IC. It is in an IC socket just pop it out and push in the replacement. That caused a full scale reading. The other one had a loose jewel adjustment nut on the meter. You can purchase the parts from digikey. Open it up and look if there is an integrated circuit in a socket. You can get the number from the top of it. They are Sears model number 161210400 engine analyzers.

Roy

 

[Rickster]

I see those at garage sales every so often. I had one back in the 70s, worked well. Sold it off years ago.

 

[ALinCarolina]

This forum continues to amaze. Thanks for the replies, and thanks for the info Roy. I will work on the thing this coming weekend with those gems. Will let ya'll know.

 

[tym]

I just repaired 2 of the next model up with 4 inputs. One had a shorted instrumentation amplifier, an ICL7611 8 pin IC. It is in an IC socket just pop it out and push in the replacement. That caused a full scale reading. The other one had a loose jewel adjustment nut on the meter. You can purchase the parts from digikey. Open it up and look if there is an integrated circuit in a socket. You can get the number from the top of it. They are Sears model number 161210400 engine analyzers.

Roy

OP90 should be drop-in compatible with ICL7611 too.

 

[jgromada]

Replacing points and adjusting distributors for timing are two tasks the automakers have done a good job with in removing. Unless you have a hankering to work on really OLD cars you probably won't need an analyzer or timing light. I guess there are other things an analyzer did but i can't think of anything except maybe alternator diagnostics.

 

[bob15]

Replacing points and adjusting distributors for timing are two tasks the automakers have done a good job with in removing. Unless you have a hankering to work on really OLD cars you probably won't need an analyzer or timing light. I guess there are other things an analyzer did but i can't think of anything except maybe alternator diagnostics.

Dwell & points meters are also used on farm tractors.

What exactly is you definition of "really" old?

Point type ignitions are just as reliable as modern electronic ignitions, except they need to be maintained (replace wear components periodically). Funny thing is, with points ignition is if they fail, they are easy to fix, even on the side of the road. Try doing that with a "modern" ecu ignition, OEM or aftermarket.

 

[el monte slim]

Many times when electronic devices stop working it's because capacitors in the circuit have failed. This actually happens quite often in older flat screen televisions. Most capacitors are inexpensive to replace, and are worth the effort to do so. Here's a YouTube search link on how to identify when they're bad:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+identify+when+electronic+capacitors+are+bad

 

[emort007]

I'm more interested in the Fuel Injected Beetle! Those are rare to find these days and even more rare to find running. I always wondered why VW didn't go with CIS for the beetle as they sold is along side the CIS fuel injected Rabbits. While my experience with the FI on a Beetle is limited, I'm an expert with the Rabbits FI.
Totally off topic, but for some reason I was just thinking about that Beetle fuel Injection this AM, and ****! Here is one in the picture.

 

[joel63]

Dwell & points meters are also used on farm tractors.

What exactly is you definition of "really" old?

Point type ignitions are just as reliable as modern electronic ignitions, except they need to be maintained (replace wear components periodically). Funny thing is, with points ignition is if they fail, they are easy to fix, even on the side of the road. Try doing that with a "modern" ecu ignition, OEM or aftermarket.

I have always felt that way. ^^^^^^^

And a lot less expensive too.

 

[ALinCarolina]

I'm more interested in the Fuel Injected Beetle! Those are rare to find these days and even more rare to find running. I always wondered why VW didn't go with CIS for the beetle as they sold is along side the CIS fuel injected Rabbits. While my experience with the FI on a Beetle is limited, I'm an expert with the Rabbits FI.
Totally off topic, but for some reason I was just thinking about that Beetle fuel Injection this AM, and ****! Here is one in the picture.

The Air Flow Control fuel injection used in the last few years Beetles is a simpler system than the Type 3 electronic. I have collected every book and resource on the system that exists I think so am fairly confident with understanding it. You can trouble shoot pretty much with just a volt/ohm meter and a fuel pressure gage. The biggest problem is that many parts are no longer available but I am determined not to give up yet and convert to carbs.

 

[ALinCarolina]

To update: I opened it up and didn't see anything obvious like loose wires but I did see what appeared to be a scratch and then some corrosion on one of the "wires" on the printed board. It took a strong magnifying glass to see. Maybe it took years to corrode?

A fellow GJ member had an old MAC dwell meter I am buying so I will have a backup or a replacement.

 

[Shadowdog500]

To update: I opened it up and didn't see anything obvious like loose wires but I did see what appeared to be a scratch and then some corrosion on one of the "wires" on the printed board. It took a strong magnifying glass to see. Maybe it took years to corrode?

A fellow GJ member had an old MAC dwell meter I am buying so I will have a backup or a replacement.

I agree with the previous post about capacitors going bad being what usually makes old electronic fail.

Can you post a good photo of the circuit board and wires.
There are a lot of eagle eyed people on this forum that may spot the problem.

 

[tym]

I agree with the previous post about capacitors going bad being what usually makes old electronic fail.

And even if it hasn't completely failed, a 40-50 year old electrolytic cap will often be nowhere near it's intended value. I've routinely found them to be off by a factor of two from the printed value.

 

[bob15]

I would still try using deoxit on the switches. I have a Sears analyzer (just the 1980's version) which showed the same symptoms as you do about a month ago. Used deoxit and problem solved, RPM's work, dwell works, needle moves correctly again. There is a reason stereo guys swear by this stuff for cleaning switches and pots from their vintage audio equipment. It works. I used it on my Pioneer SX-850 before I sold it, clean up the static I was getting when the switches and pots were moved.

 

[shephd]

I would still try using deoxit on the switches. I used it on my Pioneer SX-850 before I sold it, clean up the static I was getting when the switches and pots were moved.

I just looked on Amazon and Deoxit comes in a zillion varieties. Are you using the spray with a straw or the needle tip? I'm cheap and at $25-30 a pop I don't want to experiment.
Thanks!

 

[bob15]

On my Pioneer I used the needle tip because that was all I had at the time. I bought and used the D5S-6 spray on the dwell meter. It is 15 bucks on ebay and amazon. I prefer the spray more than the needle bottle which i now keep in my snowmobile trailer.

https://caig.com/product/deoxit-d5s-6/

Do an amazon search of: "Hosa D5S-6 CAIG DeoxIT 5% Spray Contact Cleaner, 5 oz."

That is what I have and use, with the only difference being I have the older style can nozzle.

 

[ALinCarolina]

I ordered some Deoxit from Amazon. Will give it a try and will try to get a photo but it will be tough without a macro lens. Thanks

 

[zendriver]

Deoxit worth every penny, for electrical cleanup.