Timing Light
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 653
Likes: 9
From: Ottawa, Ont. Canada
Timing Light
I am considering buying a new timing light to work on my '56 . Ideally, I would like a digital light with both the RPM and advance displayed simultaneously.
But I just don't see how such timing light would be able to determine the advance on a point type distributor or, if this type of timing light would work at all on these older distributors.
Any comments?
Thanks
Pierre Joly.
But I just don't see how such timing light would be able to determine the advance on a point type distributor or, if this type of timing light would work at all on these older distributors.
Any comments?
Thanks
Pierre Joly.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
Pierre -
Any of them will work just fine with points ignition, including dual points. My 25-year-old old Penske/Craftsman light finally died a couple of years ago and I replaced it with an Actron dial-back light (they make the new Craftsman lights for Sears) - http://www.actron.com/cgi-bin/web_st...d=222473_23168 - works great on all my cars, and the dial-back feature lets you "map" your advance curve and tailor it to your needs without having to add marks to your balancer. Doesn't have a built-in tach, but I use a separate tach/dwell meter anyway :thumbs:
Any of them will work just fine with points ignition, including dual points. My 25-year-old old Penske/Craftsman light finally died a couple of years ago and I replaced it with an Actron dial-back light (they make the new Craftsman lights for Sears) - http://www.actron.com/cgi-bin/web_st...d=222473_23168 - works great on all my cars, and the dial-back feature lets you "map" your advance curve and tailor it to your needs without having to add marks to your balancer. Doesn't have a built-in tach, but I use a separate tach/dwell meter anyway :thumbs:
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,596
Likes: 52
From: Southern NJ
C2 of Year Finalist (stock) 2019
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
Ditto on the Craftsman Dial Back Timimg Light. I recently replaced my Sun with one. Really great for finding out where you really are with initial timing with and without assisted vacuum advance.
john lolli
john lolli
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 653
Likes: 9
From: Ottawa, Ont. Canada
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
Thanks to John and everyone else for their responses.
This may be a bit confusing...
I can see how a digital timing light would be able to provide RPM readout on the digital display.
However, the part I am missing is how could the timing light provide, on it's digital display, a reading of the actual ignition advance. The timing light would need to know TDC in order to provide a display reading of the ignition advance. There is nothing on a conventional point system to "trigger" TDC at the timing light.
On a newer computerized ignition system, the ignition computer provides a "trigger point" for TDC and the light can determine advance from there. Older point system don't have that "trigger point", hence the question.
Thanks again, Pierre
This may be a bit confusing...
I can see how a digital timing light would be able to provide RPM readout on the digital display.
However, the part I am missing is how could the timing light provide, on it's digital display, a reading of the actual ignition advance. The timing light would need to know TDC in order to provide a display reading of the ignition advance. There is nothing on a conventional point system to "trigger" TDC at the timing light.
On a newer computerized ignition system, the ignition computer provides a "trigger point" for TDC and the light can determine advance from there. Older point system don't have that "trigger point", hence the question.
Thanks again, Pierre
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
Thanks to John and everyone else for their responses.
This may be a bit confusing...
I can see how a digital timing light would be able to provide RPM readout on the digital display.
However, the part I am missing is how could the timing light provide, on it's digital display, a reading of the actual ignition advance. The timing light would need to know TDC in order to provide a display reading of the ignition advance. There is nothing on a conventional point system to "trigger" TDC at the timing light.
On a newer computerized ignition system, the ignition computer provides a "trigger point" for TDC and the light can determine advance from there. Older point system don't have that "trigger point", hence the question.
Thanks again, Pierre
This may be a bit confusing...
I can see how a digital timing light would be able to provide RPM readout on the digital display.
However, the part I am missing is how could the timing light provide, on it's digital display, a reading of the actual ignition advance. The timing light would need to know TDC in order to provide a display reading of the ignition advance. There is nothing on a conventional point system to "trigger" TDC at the timing light.
On a newer computerized ignition system, the ignition computer provides a "trigger point" for TDC and the light can determine advance from there. Older point system don't have that "trigger point", hence the question.
Thanks again, Pierre
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,620
Likes: 0
From: 20 forward gears to shift through in MD
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
Pierre, I bought an INNOVA professional digital timing light that has become one of my favorite toys (for both my TI and standard ignition vehicles). It has all the goodies (and even comes with a remote starter). :cheers:
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 8,913
Likes: 283
Re: Timing Light (tuxedo)
JohnZ summed it up the best. With the timming light you just "roll" or "click" the button to return the timming mark back to zero. Although the actual timming is not zero it is the only referance point for the light.
An example.
Rev the engine to 2400 RPM and the timing mark is way off the tab scale. So on my light I just hold the advace button down until the line/mark on the ballancer is lined up with the zero mark on the timing tab. Then I look at the display on the timing light and read the number of advance. The light itself does not know the advance, you are just changing the strobe timing. And this is reflected in the digital read out. Very simple to use. I have a reset button on my light to zero it out in one push, it also has an RPM read out. You need something to read RPM to map out the dist. Someone in the car or a dwell meter. I would recomend a light with the rpm read out if you do not have a dwell meter. I think my light is an INNOVA as well, and was around $100.00. Check E-bay for a better deal.
Mark
An example.
Rev the engine to 2400 RPM and the timing mark is way off the tab scale. So on my light I just hold the advace button down until the line/mark on the ballancer is lined up with the zero mark on the timing tab. Then I look at the display on the timing light and read the number of advance. The light itself does not know the advance, you are just changing the strobe timing. And this is reflected in the digital read out. Very simple to use. I have a reset button on my light to zero it out in one push, it also has an RPM read out. You need something to read RPM to map out the dist. Someone in the car or a dwell meter. I would recomend a light with the rpm read out if you do not have a dwell meter. I think my light is an INNOVA as well, and was around $100.00. Check E-bay for a better deal.
Mark
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 2,460
Likes: 5
From: Wheaton IL
Re: Timing Light (Pierre)
I bought the craftsman with the adjustable advance over the weekend. Its on sale + free shipping:
http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00921023000
AllcouPedup
http://www.sears.com/sr/product/summ...id=00921023000
AllcouPedup
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 12,712
Likes: 2,271
Re: Timing Light (Allcoupedup)
Well you sold another one for Sears. My old crock was giving me shocks more often than it was actually flashing the bulb, so I ordered the Craftsman dial back on line, but I'll just pick it up in person as I have to run an errand down their way later in the week. :)
Duke
Duke
