Timing lights

[Alex]

Can anyone advise me on whats a good quality timing light?
I quite fancy the idea of one with tachometer on and advance function but just don't know what's good and what's bad.....or even if these functions are pointless?

Thanks
Alex

[Deleted User]

available setting up with megajolt.

Rob

[Davemate]

I was once told "only buy one which has a WHITE LIGHT  the red light ones are hard to see in daylight."I believe posh makes like snap on only use white lights.
The cheap ones use red lights,ok for useing in the dark but then you can't see what the hell your doing  :-/

[Alex]

1344 wrote:

I was once told "only buy one which has a WHITE LIGHT  the red light ones are hard to see in daylight."I believe posh makes like snap on only use white lights.
The cheap ones use red lights,ok for useing in the dark but then you can't see what the hell your doing  :-/

I think from what I've read they are all zenons bulbs now whereas they used to be neon?

[Sheepy]

I had a cheap ish one with timing advance turn dial, I thought it was good until I got my all singing digital one! Then realised the other one was naff.

Off top of my head I can't remember the make of the digital one, I will look tomorrow evening for you, but it's worth getting a decent one that does advance, tachometer, and other functions.

[Alex]

Thanks Shaun!

[GT6 M]

there quite a few on flea bay.  I got 2, a non adjustable,n
an a adjustable.  Adjustable ok for cars like Fords an other cars with just 1 timing ref point
BUTTT, Triumph spoiled us lot, cos they gave a real good set of marks to use.
which is great for the non adjustable,ns

Snap on adjustable, car boot, 2£ real good bit of kit.
Speedograph, non ad, 20£ aboot 30 years ago,!!, but never missed a beat.

the older cheepee, neons were ok int dark, but useless int day light
also need one with a inductive pic up, saves ye tek,n the leads of,
both i got ev,m on.

the early gunson variable rev speed ones are no much use really,
adjust the scale, so the inner wire resonates at the engine revs ye set it at,
in practice, most useless, as the speed range varied too much.

M

[Van]

Generally the red light ones connect in line with the spark plug and take their power from the spark. That's why they're not very bright and you have to switch the engine off to disconnect the HT lead and connect them. The white ones need another power source, usually clip onto car battery although I did have a mains one years ago which was a pain. Now you're not drawing power from the spark so you can then have one with an inductive pickup which you clip over the HT lead. This is great because if you have a misfire you can hook up the timing light and move the pickup from lead to lead to see which one is not firing without switching the engine off.
So I would go for one with white light, car battery power and inductive pickup. Personally I can't see the point in tacho or advance functions. I have a Gunsons one which cost about £30 new off eBay. I keep this in the car and it has been quite handy if I have a problem, eg in the recent bad weather.
Van

[Hogie]

Halfords do a nice simple adjustable one for apprx £50.
Having bought one all I hear now is that "you don't need one of those - use your ear"!!

It's good for home disco's though.

Roger

[piman]

Hello Roger,

well I still use mine and one thing your ear won't tell you is whether the automatic advance is working, which the strobe will. (it also has dwell and points voltage drop functions built in)

Alec

[Alex]

piman wrote:

Hello Roger,

well I still use mine and one thing your ear won't tell you is whether the automatic advance is working, which the strobe will. (it also has dwell and points voltage drop functions built in)

Alec

Alec,is yours the digital variety?
What do you mean by 'tell you if the auto advance is working'?

Alex

[ferny]

2601 wrote:

Halfords do a nice simple adjustable one for apprx £50.
Having bought one all I hear now is that "you don't need one of those - use your ear"!!

It's good for home disco's though.

Roger

Yeah, but we know that's rubbish. It's fine for carb balancing when you're listening to the air flow, but not timing.

When the timing belt stripped on the Acclaim I left the cover off to keep an eye on any oil leaks so had no true reference point - the pulley also has three timing marks! The best "by ear" adjustment felt rubbish on the road and when it was all back together properly and checked with my timing light it was 10° out.

[jon]

I needed one to set up the timing on my Acclaim after I had the dizzy in bits.

Got a Draper one with inductive pickup and variable advance for just under £30 at my local Trago, superb bit of kit and well worth the money.

The variable advance bit is useful in diagnosing faults that don't appear at all revs, can tell you when the balance weights or vac advance are playing up for instance.

Jon

[Alex]

Ok I think I want a digital light,does anyone know if the accuse ark lights and bergen are any good......they look very cheaply made?

[esxefi]

I bought one of these,it works fine and has tacho and advance.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AccuSpark-SP8000-CHROME-Ignition-Timing-Light-Digital-rev-counter-advance-/171097250311?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item27d630da07

they do a red one but I like the bling. :B

[Sheepy]

Well I had a look for you
I have a cheap one (my first one I had 20 odd years ago) it has timing advance, but its just a dial. Not digital

P.s. meant to say its a sealey

[Sheepy]

The next one is a sinco.
It is fully digital.  For timing, advance, retard etc, ignition system performance, measurement of injection time, voltage measurement, Dwell, rpm counter and some other features.
Plus its red and looks nice

[Alex]

That sinco light looks much better quality than many of the offerings I've seen.
What's the opinion on the gunson superstrobe?
It's expensive but is the extra expense warranted for the quality?......I've found it for about £140!!

[Sheepy]

Van_Hamlin wrote:

Personally I can't see the point in tacho or advance functions.

You need those settings to correctly set the timing!
With the timing lights that have no advance or tacho (not neccessary if you have a tacho in the car, but is easier than keep looking inside) You can only set timing basically.
If you use a full function,one, you will be surprised with the variation due to wear etc etc.
So if the book says set at 10 degrees after (just an example) with the digital ones like mine you can set the degrees, and when you look at the marks you will find it may be reading 11 or 9 etc on the pulley marks. (hope that makes sense)
Plus the tacho let's you set the revs, as you change the timing the revs will be affected, and the revs affect the timing! Plus if your still using points, dwell angle affects timing also, so as you see you have to check all the settings, change one and check the others and so on until all is correct. (that's in simple terms, sorry don't want to offend for those of you already understand how to do this)  :B

[Sheepy]

I have P.m you Alex.

[piman]

Hello Alex,

yes it is digital, I forget the make now as I've had it so long.
By adjusting the engine speed to coincide with maximum advance of the distributor, you can check that it is reaching that figure and also does it reach the correct advance at various engine speeds as per the manual.

Alec

[Alex]

Anyone know where I'd find all the advance figures for a 1500 spitfire?..... Or do I want them for a mk3 as that's the cam that's fitted?

[piman]

Hello Alex,

a proper Stanpart workshop manual contains all the distributor specifications, (well at least the Triumph 2000 manual does, no reason a Spitfire manual will be any different?)
In case you are not aware, disconnect the vacuum advance tube when doing such checks.

Alec

[Tim Bancroft]

I bought a Superstrobe years ago, the bulb has gone and I am unable to source a replacement. Therefore bought a cheap Gunson version, exactly the same as the one Sheepy is holding.

How I wish I had a Snap On jobbie like he holds in the second photo.

[Tim Bancroft]

No of reasonable ones on EBay at pres.