Recommendation for digital timing light/rpm meter
 

Any recommendation for a digital timing light/RPM meter that would be usfull for home shop use?

Cheers!
Stuart

Hi Stuart


I have a couple Inovva Timing lights and they work really well for the price point. I got it years ago as it was one of the few reasonably priced ones with a dwell function.

The old one is over 10 years now and have never had an issue with it. (other than a few chunks out of the case from bumping it off rad fans and Alts) The Old one still works and I use when I have get up close and personal with moving parts to read timing marks.

Here is a link To the new one I bought Model #5568.
The new one has a cover on it to adsorb some of the impact if you happen to get too close to rotating parts.

http://www.equus.com/Product/5568/IN...ing-Light-(DIS)

The #5568 can be found on Ebay for under $100 new (where I got mine).

Matthew

Couple of Thoughts
 

I have had a number of timing lights over the years, you did mention if you were working on 6volt 12 or 24 volts, old ignition or high voltage, so hear are a couple of general thoughts.

I use a induction clamp 12 volt unit for all my work. To get around the voltage issue on MVs I use a spare 12 volt battery to power it. The ones out of computer UPS units work quite nicely.

The old stile timing lights that were put in series with the spark lead can be rather lively to use with modern high voltage ignition system. Read that as they will likely shock the hell out you.

Now as to tachometer I have found that most of the combination tach dwell timing lights have trouble working with 6 volt ignition systems.

As to independent tachs what ever you do don't bother with the little self contained digital ones see photo. I've had four of them none were accurate, they did replace them every time I asked though. Being highly inconsistent and slow reading so the RPM you see may be anything form 4 to 30 seconds late. Their other function as an hour meter never worked for me. If anybody has figured out how to really make these work the way they are described in the ads please share the trick.

I'm looking for a small 2"diameter for my engine test stand but so far most I have found are 0-8000 or 0-10000 RPM when what I want is full swing 0-5000 RPM so they gradations will be more meaningful with CMP engines. My reason for looking of a 2" diameter unit is they fit nicely above the windshield on Pat 13s for road testing.

Cheers Phil

Hi Stuart

Of course the inductive pick up does not work with the shielded wires. In fact no inductive pick up will work with the shielded wires.


I get around this by removing the No 1 Cylinder wire and using a chunk of standard suppressed 7MM ignition wire in it's place. I just cut the ends off the wire and strip it back a 1/4" on each end so the conductor is exposed and jam it in the spark plug and the Dist cap making sure it bottoms out and the exposed conductor is touching the contacts in the spark plug and Dist. (8mm wires are too big to fit in the spark plug).

I use a spare 12V battery to power the timing light.

That timing light allows me to check the spark advance functions on both Vacuum and centrifugal.

You can use the dwell meter on 1 cyl engines with the light you just have to double the reading on the 2cyl scale

This light picks up the RPM from the spark plug wire. So as long as the light is fed with 12V it does not matter what voltage the system is.


Matthew

Hi Phil

These guys should suit your needs.

http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugede...earch&gid=3239

http://www.isspro.com/proddetail.php?prod=R8509



Matthew

Hi Stuart

Ideally you should use a suppressed Ignition wire when using an inductive pick up timing light. Unsuppressed wires can mess up sending a signal to the timing light.

Older timing lights actually plugged in line in of the plug wire so not being a suppressed wire was no issue.

As for the battery. You could use the one battery in the Iltis. Or a spare battery. It dose not need to be a full size battery a motorcycle battery or even a battery from a emergency light will work. The timing light draws very little.

The remote push button is a good idea. I use mine all the time for bumping the engine over when doing work on it.



Matthew

If you need the factory timing specs you remove the rubber plug on the drivers side on top of the bellhousing and line up the 0 on the flywheel to the arrow tab just inside of the hole.

I was lucky to be able to pick up the factory Iltis power pack stand and ad some bolt on brackets to make a great test stand for engines and all of the bolt on components like alt, starter, dist, TCI boxes.I used parts of a factory wiring harness to make connections a lot easier. see pics.

I forgot to mention that if you have an original spark plug wire that came on the iltis from factory (its a skinny one) they will work with the magnetic pickup as they do not have the shielding on the wires. if you don't have one of those you can purchase the adapter from Midwest military that goes between the spark plug and the suppressed plug wire.

Those look perfect
 

Hi Mathew

Thanks those look perfect, thanks particular for the links to manufactures websites, so much more information than auto parts houses.

Auto Meter instructions sheet http://www.autometer.com/productPDF/0972A.pdf US Price $125 at a store 15 miles from home.

Isspro unit looks very interesting well catalog http://www.isspro.com/catalog/ISSPRO...log%202006.pdf .

Cheers Phil

In some Iltis tools I picked up, there were two plastic items that have ends that look like they would fit on the MIL spark plug fittings. Are these part of the MIL timing testing system? I have never figured out how they would connect up. Would they be used for the older timing lights?

Stuart

Cheers!
Stuart[/QUOTE]

would you have a picture of the tool ? Does it look like this one ?

For testing the ignition system at the coil. It goes between the coil and the 2 wire leads, see pic

For testing the 24V power going into the coil and the other cable which is the trigger from the TCI to coil

Hi Stuart

I have that exact unit.

http://www.gunson.co.uk/item.aspx?cat=698&item=1835

Not a professional grade unit by any stretch of the imagination it is lightly built and not designed for any sort of rough handling. But is perfect for the amount of use we need it for.

I found mine easy to use and accurate.

As for the unit it's self.

The only complaint I have is the 2 sided foam tape holding the pump (the part sticking up) on to the unit is rather lacking but that is easily rectified with some better quality foam tape.

It does require a separate power source as the cord is not any where near long enough to reach from the back to the front of a vehicle. Which is fine as I have separate Automotive 12V Gel cell I use for that and the timing light.

Alternatively a person could just pick up a 12V Emergency Light Battery. Such as this one

http://www.emergencylightbatteries.c...A_Battery.html

This is a much cheaper solution to buying a spare car battery.


I set mine on the ground near the back of the vehicle so the moisture will drain properly.

Be sure to keep the unit it's self out of the exhaust when calibrating or you will never get an accurate reading.

The display is easily readable from the front of the vehicle even in sunlight.
The response is time on the unit it's self is fairly quick but not instant.

Make your adjustment and wait for the unit to stabilize. It will take about 10 seconds or so from making the adjustment to it showing up on the read out. So just go slow and be patient.

Really this unit is the only affordable solution to getting a CO % from the Tail pipe.

For what is it I have no complaints and it does the job it's supposed to.


Matthew