Vintage Sun Testing Equipment

[Idol Hands]

Looking forr a Sun 506...any help would be appreciated

Thanks

 

[bajones238]

Does anyone here have a copy of the repair sheets or schematic for the U-819 component (Tach-Dwell-Cylinder Balance) used on the Sun 1160? Also need a power transformer for the U-813 (Volt-Ohm-Condenser) unit. Thanks!

 

[damon18]

Love the looks of these things. Spotted this one on Facebook.

Would be quite a piece for the man cave style garage. If it was cheaper I'd be tempted just for the cool cabinet bases.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/510669216476865/

Sent from my SM-G973U using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[rmalkow2]

Love the looks of these things. Spotted this one on Facebook.

Would be quite a piece for the man cave style garage. If it was cheaper I'd be tempted just for the cool cabinet bases.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/510669216476865/

Sent from my SM-G973U using The Garage Journal mobile app

That a big boy for sure, double wide base cabinet. The ad says $400 OBO so immediately he will take less. I have one of these classic look Sun test stands (single wide base) in my garage. It’s two purposes are 1. The vintage decorative look and 2. Storage for my actual testing and electrical equipment/parts.

On this one I could see removing the scope portion and replacing with a modern LED TV in the old frame, You can also get some of the old instruments to work again.
Very cool.

 

[Grey George]

Thanks to "Firetrucks" generosity for providing me with the timing light. After a month of work; first in cleaning, painting and testing the individual modules, and then stripping and painting the main enclosure, I'm happy to say that this project is finished. It works as new, and looks almost new.

Here are a few pics of the finished product. Time to take a break and get back to working on cars ---

I know this is an old thread but I am from Australia and restoring the same unit.Do you know how to remove the black plastic surrounds on the dials to change broken glass?
Cheers

 

[Provincial]

It has been a while, but I think I remember that the gauge mounts from the back. Once removed, the internals can be removed from the rear of the plastic housing.

I have a suction gauge that has broken plastic. I've pretty much given up on finding a donor unit.

 

[Mintgrun]

Yes, there are two screws on the backside that retain the gauge and then four little screws that let you access the glass.


I opened the vacuum gauge up on mine to clean it out.


The glass on the dwell meter was cracked, so I cut a new piece for it.

 

[Mintgrun]

I have a suction gauge that has broken plastic. I've pretty much given up on finding a donor unit.

There is a gauge being sold on eBay right now that looks like it might use the same Bakelite surround as the vacuum gauge. It does not have the hole in the glass for the adjustment screw, but you may be able to swap out the glass.

They are not giving it away, but here is the title of the ad, in case you want to look it up.

Reduced Price! Vintage Sun Engine Tester Per Cent Cylinder Leakage Gauge


Tom

 

[Provincial]

Tom, thanks for the tip! That gauge is much smaller than my unit. Mine is on a Distributor Tester, and that one looks like it is from a hand-held unit.

My gauge housing is 5-3/4" wide, 4-7/8" high, and 3/4" thick with a 4-1/8" lens opening. The Ebay unit is 4-5/8" by 4" with a 3-1/8" lens.

Thanks for mentioning it!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I found what appeared to me to possibly be a mechanics' stethoscope at the flea market this morning, based on its shape, apparent function, and the fact that it was inside a vintage toolbox - and upon cleaning and further inspection, it turned out to be a Sun Electric piece, pretty much confirming my hunch. I think. Any untoward tinking sounds/vibrations would be carried from the steel point through the body and resonated by that hex shaped piece inside what I am thinking is a fluted ear piece. Or am I laughably way off and that is just a lead and a rubber-sheathed terminal for some kind of electrical check? Yes? No? Thoughts? See Pics 1 through 5. Shown in Pic 5 with my only other Sun Electric accessory, the fuse puller, found late last year.

 

[bctexas]

Hi Lugz! I found one of those in the cabinet of my old Sun Master Motor Tester when I bought it in the 1970's. Yours has had the tip bent straight - it should be 90 degrees to the shaft. I found it in a 1961 Sun Catalog. They call it a "Resistance Test Contactor". Used to reach into the hooded end of a spark plug wire to reach the connector when using an ohm meter to check plug wire resistance.

Happy Motoring!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

So, then option 2, "laughably way off and that is just a lead and a rubber-sheathed terminal for some kind of electrical check.." HAHA! Thanks, bc.

 

[gnpenning]

BTW Lug what you are calling a fuse puller is a spark plug wire puller. Designed that way to keep from getting you shocked.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Hmm. Okay. Thanks. 0-2 is good for my humility today! But looks just like a fiber fuse puller to me. Maybe used for both?

 

[choppedtudor]

I picked up this bad boy yesterday

 

[gnpenning]

Hmm. Okay. Thanks. 0-2 is good for my humility today! But looks just like a fiber fuse puller to me. Maybe used for both?

You can use it for whatever you want and call it that as well. . I've plenty of multi purpose tools. Most vehicles of that vintage had as you know glass type fuses that may be difficult to access.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks. I think I'll quit while I'm behind!

 

[gnpenning]

Lol, you are so far ahead of me you could wait a couple years for me to catch up.

Thanks for the sticky and all the great information you bring. I've learned a bunch just reading your responses. Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

That's too generous. But thank you, sir.

 

[bctexas]

I just ran across a web page called "The Boat Anchor Manual Archive". Lots of documentation for obsolete stuff, including some Sun gear! Most exciting for me is the service documentation for the SS-400 scope and U-819 tach/dwell/cylinder balance tester which I have not been able to find anywhere else. There are docs for other Sun units also. See:

http://bama.edebris.com/manuals/sun/

Happy Motoring!

 

[choppedtudor]

hi guys, stupid question time...I figured I'd replace a few burned out panel lamps on my Sun 947...seems simple enough...they are LINE VOLT miniature bayonet single contact 9mm base...anyone have a clue where I can find these? I've scoured the internet and came up empty...the bulbs I removed have a T51 number on them, but that is a low volt lamp in todays world...this is a 1977 vintage machine. HELP

 

[Provincial]

Chopped, do you have a wiring diagram? A prior owner may have bypassed a voltage reducing circuit and burned out the old bulbs.

 

[choppedtudor]

I went back and looked at it again, these are indeed LOW VOLTAGE bulbs...back to the search. I believe I'm looking for 7.5 volt....

 

[bctexas]

I just replaced all the bulbs in my 947 - you can get them on Amazon. When I get out to the shop this morning I'll reply with the specifics.

 

[choppedtudor]

they are marked "T51" and that would make them a 7.5 volt bulb...if I'm seeing this right.

 

[bctexas]

they are marked "T51" and that would make them a 7.5 volt bulb...if I'm seeing this right.

Here ya go - IIRC, there are 39 of these little buggers in the 947:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JNF9FRW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Happy Motoring!

 

[bctexas]

Oops, went and recounted - there are 43 including the scale indicator lights....

 

[SunMachineGuy]

Sun 504 Distributor Tester w/ Cabinet - Original Paint & Running - $2300

Currently selling my Sun 504 Distributor Tester w/ Cabinet - Original Paint & Running - $2300 OBO/Trades

Sun DT-504 Distributor Tester with Sun Roller Cabinet-
Runs and still with original paint
Kept in a garage since the 70's
Rare find in excellent condition
Have video of running
Tester spins and dials go up
$2,300 OBO/Trades

Located in Lancaster PA

 

[choppedtudor]

thanks

 

[bctexas]

Just picked this up on eBay. I feared that, like almost every old Sun dwell/tach that takes batteries, the battery compartments would be trashed. Especially since Sun used a mercury cell that causes lots of damage when it leaks in the later units. Much to my surprise and amazement, this old unit used 2 "D" cells, and both battery compartments are clean as a whistle! I opened it up and found that the meter units are dated 1948. There is also a capacitor bigger than a pack of cigarettes that is dated 1944. The cable is junk, but that is to be expected. I will clean it up, but I don't think I'll paint it - I think I'll leave the patina. I put batteries in it, and the "battery check" function shows good, but as soon as I turn the knob further to set the number of cylinders, the tach needle pegs to the right. I think I'll replace all the 72+ year old capacitors and see if that revives the old girl.

In any event, it is going to have to wait a bit. I ordered the parts from Paramount to rebuild my model 600 distributor machine and they should get here tomorrow. Should be a fun project - that machine hasn't been used in over 30 years.

 

[APEowner]

Every time one of these distributor machine threads come up I wonder if there's a market for a new one and if I could build them at a price that would sell. Without doing any preliminary design work I think I'd have to get at least $2,500 for them and sell about 50 of them over a 5 year period to get the price down that low and to make it worthwhile.

 

[bctexas]

Hi APEowner - boy, I dunno. There are a fair number of them out there still. And you see them advertised for $2500 or less, supposedly in working order, fairly often. Check out Paramount:

http://www.paramountd.com/index.html

He sells fully restored Sun testers starting under $3000. I should be able to get mine running, but not cosmetically restored, for about $1000. I think a lot of guys treat these things kind of like old gasoline pumps - "garage art". I'm not sure a modern one would have a market.

Good luck!

 

[APEowner]

Hi APEowner - boy, I dunno. There are a fair number of them out there still. And you see them advertised for $2500 or less, supposedly in working order, fairly often. Check out Paramount:

http://www.paramountd.com/index.html

He sells fully restored Sun testers starting under $3000. I should be able to get mine running, but not cosmetically restored, for about $1000. I think a lot of guys treat these things kind of like old gasoline pumps - "garage art". I'm not sure a modern one would have a market.

Good luck!

Yeah, I suspect you're correct about a significant number of the existing units being purchased as garage art. That's what makes it difficult to determine if there's a market.

 

[steel 35]

As a kid these were almost as cool as asteroids, but I couldn't touch anything
Here is one of mine, 6 volt sun test light.

 

[bctexas]

I mentioned about a week back that I had ordered the parts from Paramount to rebuild my Sun 600 distributor machine. I got the LED replacement kit, idler wheel kit, degree wheel kit and a new belt. I haven't started on the dwell meter and tach - the meters themselves are damaged so that will have to wait. But I have installed the kits to restore the mechanical bits and strobe, and they work great! Easy to install too. I also had to replace all the AC cords in the machine - you could snap them like a breadstick and there were exposed conductors in a couple of spots. Not too surprising as this thing was made in 1962!

Look like a standard dwell tach will work with the machine for now. Time to yank the dizzy from the '65 Caddy and see if I can figure out why the oscilloscope shows the dwell varying from one cylinder to the next!

Happy Motoring!

 

[bctexas]

I was watching a program about the Ford LeMans project when this scene popped up on the screen. It is supposedly the pits at LeMans in 1966. With a Sun analyzer at the ready! Looks like an 820.....

 

[Dr_Allison]

I just purchased a SUN 820 and a master distributor tester locally . Starting restoration on both . It came with original instruction manual , missing original timing light otherwise all there . Nay information on SUN 820 would be great . I sued this equipment in high school and community college , been working in heavy duty trucks and buses last 40 years .

 

[engineer2]

I think the market for a new distributor tester would be very limited and slowly dying. The electronics would be straightforward, but tooling up for all the mechanical and electronic adapters you might need would be costly. Then you have to decide if your machine is just for setting advance curves, or to do proper troubleshooting, which would add to complexity.

 

[bctexas]

Looks like the recent server issues zapped my last post so here is a replacement:

Picked up this X-35 timing light on Ebay. A but of cleaning and plastic polish brought it back pretty nicely. And, while a bit dim, it works! Found an old auction listing for a model X-35 that had the original sales receipt dated 1953 so that gives an idea of its age. Also here is a pic of the dwell/tach from 1948 cleaned up. I decided that since the internals of the dwell/tach are original from 1944-1948 I'm going to leave it alone.

 

[JCR]

I think the market for a new distributor tester would be very limited and slowly dying. The electronics would be straightforward, but tooling up for all the mechanical and electronic adapters you might need would be costly. Then you have to decide if your machine is just for setting advance curves, or to do proper troubleshooting, which would add to complexity.

King tried about 10 years ago. I think they were in production for only a few years.
https://horsepowersports.com/distributor-test-machines-are-once-again-extinct/