dwell tach tester
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 5,383
Likes: 11
From: Toronto Ontario
dwell tach tester
Someone gave me a dwell tach tester last night.
Its about 15 - 20 years old, so no instructions.
Is it useful, reliable, and how do I use it?
Just another silly question from a non mechanic.
Thanks
Its about 15 - 20 years old, so no instructions.
Is it useful, reliable, and how do I use it?
Just another silly question from a non mechanic.
Thanks
Senior Member since 1492
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 87,892
Likes: 156
From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Green wire(mine is green) goes to (+) coil terminal and the black wire goes to a ground. Flip the switch from tach for rpm's, dwell for the dwell and Volts for the voltage. 
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Originally Posted by Jughead
Green wire(mine is green) goes to (+) coil terminal and the black wire goes to a ground. Flip the switch from tach for rpm's, dwell for the dwell and Volts for the voltage.
Senior Member since 1492
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 87,892
Likes: 156
From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by Gordonm
Are yo usure about this Len, Mine has the green wire to the - side of the coil and the black goes to ground. The dwell is read off the points and the negative side of the coil is connected to the points. I have not used it in a long time but I do remember how it was hooked up.
No wonder I can't get mine to work. I was working from a bad memory here. I always consult the instructions before I hook it up. Thought it was to the + terminal.
Senior Member since 1492
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 87,892
Likes: 156
From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Originally Posted by checklst
LOL Jughead we call them senior moments!!!!!! I did not answer the question because the instruction where in the garage and I know I would have screw it up without them. 
Sometimes I sould keep my mouth shut and my ears open.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
10 Most Common Corvette Problems of the Last 20 Years!
Joe Kucinski
5 MOST and 5 LEAST Popular Corvette Model Years in History!
Joe Kucinski
2027 Corvette Buyer's Guide: Everything You Need to Know!
Joe Kucinski
10 Things C8 Corvette Owners Hate (But Won't Tell You)
Joe Kucinski
10 Best Corvettes Coming to Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach 2026!
Brett Foote
Every Corvette Grand Sport Explained! (C2, C4, C6, C7, & C8)
Joe Kucinski
Grand Sport & Grand Sport X Launch Alongside All-New 535hp LS6 V8!
Michael S. Palmer
5 Reasons Bad Drivers Crash & 5 Ways to Avoid a Costly Mistake!
Joe Kucinski
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
The dwell function is only useful if you still have points (factory). If your distributor has been converted to electronic ignition such as Mallory etc, the dwell function is useless, but the tac will still work... also assuming HEI was not installed.
Also... wire color is not always a good indicator of correct hookup. Different manufacturers used different colors for equivalent functions. I have 3 dwell/tac meters, and they all have different colored wires.
I have a Sears, a Heathkit, and some other brand... all color coded different.
You need to get an answer from someone who has the same unit if possible. Red does usually go on the + side of the coil, black on the negative (ground).
A dwell meter measures the AVERAGE current passing through the points when closed, and this value is translated to a dwell reading (degrees), which is an indicator of how large the gap is between the points when the points rubbing block is on the peak of the distributor cam lobe. Hence, dwell & point gap are both a measure of the same thing.
Dang.
I'm showing my age here.
Also... wire color is not always a good indicator of correct hookup. Different manufacturers used different colors for equivalent functions. I have 3 dwell/tac meters, and they all have different colored wires.
I have a Sears, a Heathkit, and some other brand... all color coded different.
You need to get an answer from someone who has the same unit if possible. Red does usually go on the + side of the coil, black on the negative (ground).
A dwell meter measures the AVERAGE current passing through the points when closed, and this value is translated to a dwell reading (degrees), which is an indicator of how large the gap is between the points when the points rubbing block is on the peak of the distributor cam lobe. Hence, dwell & point gap are both a measure of the same thing.
Dang.
I'm showing my age here.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,652
Likes: 80
From: Lakeland Florida
On a points type distributor, doesn't one lead go to the distributor side terminal on the coil, and the other lead go to ground.
I am trying to remember how I connected mine, and I think that the distributor side of the coil was the negative terminal.
That is the wire that goes from the distributor to the coil would be the negative side of ther coil.
kdf
I am trying to remember how I connected mine, and I think that the distributor side of the coil was the negative terminal.
That is the wire that goes from the distributor to the coil would be the negative side of ther coil.
kdf
