What brand?
Where to buy?
Cost?
Worth it?

Thanks

 

I bought mine at sears for ~$70. If you want to do performance timing it's well worth it.

 

It's all about the metal pickup clamp, I melted the induction clamps on my previous two timing lights.

This is a full-featured unit with digital dial-back advance, and it will work on two- and four-strokes:

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/epi5568-.html

This place has it for $60 less than summit.

If you want top of the line, it doesn't get much better than this.

 

Sad to admit it. I've had the $69.95 dial type Craftsmans from Sears for 5-6 years. I've used the $250 snapon and some other brand. All your getting is a digital read out and some other features. With a flip of a button the expensive ones you get engine RPM...............

I'm just checking the timing every once in a while and maybe trying a different advance curve with my MSD digital dist. I really couldn't justify the more expensive units.

 

My Sears Craftsman is old enough to have been built in the USA. Using it sucessfully for about 30 years now.

 

Ensure that it will work with your MSD. Some do not, because of the muliple sparks.

 

Man my old one has to be about 25 years old now. It is not a dial back but my dampner is fully degreed so I don't need one. It still works like a champ. I think I paid 60 bucks back then. I have tried some of the new ones and there is more gizmos and buttons then I know what to do with.

 

My old Craftsman light doesn't have the dial back, but it does have a metal pickup. I have a degreed balancer which makes it easy. Heck, you can degree it yourself. Just set the stock mark on the balancer at the 10 degree mark on the pointer. Then use a sharpie to carefully mark the balancer opposite the 0 degree mark. Now you have a 10 degree advance mark. Move the crank again and make 20 and 30 marks. Now you can set total timing. It's not perfect, but if you're careful you can get your timing within a degree. Ok, I've got a little Bubba in me.

 

Or you can measure the circumference of the balancer/dampener and divide that measurement by 10. This will give the number of inches to measure from the zero mark in order to locate 36 degrees.

Divide the measurement by 4 and you'll be able to locate 90, 180, 270 for rocker adjustments.

 

i have the Craftsman Dialback light from Sears and I'm pleased with it.

 

I was melting the clip on part of the timing light until somebody on the forum explained to me I could put it anywhere on the sparkplug wire - it didn't have to go near the sparkplug. But I had bigblock braided wires. Another bright soul suggested I change the #1 sparkplug wire when I check the timing. Good idea!

 

I did that once a long time ago.. I clamp where the wire comes out of the distributor cap now.. Works great.

Steve

 

I use an Equis 3568. Not the one with the remote start option. They're only about $50. I've been very satisfied and compared it throughout the curve against a top of the line Snap-On. Both read the same. Yup, the Snap On is probably better quality and tougher but the Equis is on it's third year with no probs.
And yes, if your degree wheel is not marked up to 40 degrees or so, the dial back is worth it. The Equis has a pretty accurate digital tach in it also. The connector wires are long enough to be no prob. on a Vette.

Daffy

 

Daffy,

Where did you get the Equis at? Thanks for all the replies guys. my balancer is not degreed all the way around so I may go ahead and do this. I have to buy a timing light this week anyway so i wanted to make sure I spent my money wisely.

Thanks
Wade

 

Wade, go here http://www.iequus.com/item.asp?cid=20 and they will provide you a list of distributors. I bought one of their code readers from an internet supplier and have been very happy with it.

Good luck... GUSTO

 

MSD only multifires below 3000 rpm, so if you check/set total timing at 3000 rpm or above, any timing light will actually work.

I'm in gkull's camp: I use a cheap $69 Craftsman dial-back light, and I've verified it for accuracy. It has survived 3 years of the Tuning for Beer Tours. It's chewed up from having gone into a few engine fans, the pickup is a bit mangled from header burns, it's dinged up from airport baggage handling abuse, and it's still dead accurate.

 

Lars, Lars, Lars.......geezzze.........I thought you were a progressive man that liked cold beer while playing with your toys....... Think about how much more efficient you will become at beer drinkin!!

You must try the "one handed" timing light below........you can operate it, check advance, and see the rpm all with one hand, while the other never let's loose of the cold beverage in your other hand!!



Available from Summit.....works very nicely.......

EQU-3568

$109.95
Estimated Ship Date: Today
overview Warranty
Brand: Equus
Product Line: Equus Products Digital Timing Lights
Power Supply: 12 V DC
Works on Points Ignition: Yes
Works on Electronic Ignition: Yes
Works on Computer Controlled Ignition: Yes
Works on DIS Ignitions: No
Advance Analog Dial Included: No
LCD Readout: Yes
Timing Light Material: Plastic
Timing Light Finish: Black
Backlit: No
Inductive Pickup Included: Yes
Dual Display Included: Yes
Displays Advance Readout: Yes
Displays Dwell Reading: No
Displays Tachometer Reading: Yes
Displays Volt Reading: No
Quantity: Sold individually.

Timing Light, Digital, LCD Readout, ABS Housing, Swivel Head, Xenon Bulb, Detachable Leads, Each

 

how do you verify a timing light for accuracy? does somebody have a procedure for this?

i also have the craftsman $69 dial back light and wouldn't mind checking it out for accuracy.