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Anybody use a Timing Light to time an engine?

R

Redturbo

Member
Just wondering if anybody has used a timing light to time these old engines? If so what did you do? Thanks, Scott.
 
How old of engines? If talking about real old, like before the days of timing lights, I would go by the way the repair manuels indicate. Even if they have timing marks and indicaters, they weren't intended for use of a timing light while engine is running. The marks have to be precise and a certain degree before top dead center for timing lights to work. Back in the day, marks may of very well only indicated top dead center if it had any marks at all. My 2 cents.
 
Sorry, I should of said what engines. Like a H, SW6, W450. I have converted them all over to 12 volt, negative ground. At the moment the SW6 & W450 have electronic ignition.
 
Nope. Got reamed by the expert(s) for not doing with a light. I have been setting them by ear and seat of pants feel since I learned how to do it, and haven't burned a piston or a valve yet.

I get #1 to TDC comp., set the distributor close or right at firing on #1, start it up, adjust until it sounds smooth and clean, then hook up something, and pull it, and adjust as I feel it needs it. Most of the time, I don't have to move it again, sometimes, just enough to know its been moved it.
 
Modern timing lights have programmable advances in them, so you can make the pointer and notch line up at a 13 degree advance or a 21 degree advance or whatever the tractor specifies.

You time them the same way as you time any engine. Hook up power. Clip on the #1 cylinder. Point the light at the timing pointer. Pull the trigger.

If your tractor is still 6 Volt, simply attach the timing light to a separate 12 Volt battery. It will work fine.
 
(quoted from post at 03:22:32 10/22/14) Nope. Got reamed by the expert(s) for not doing with a light. I have been setting them by ear and seat of pants feel since I learned how to do it, and haven't burned a piston or a valve yet.

I get #1 to TDC comp., set the distributor close or right at firing on #1, start it up, adjust until it sounds smooth and clean, then hook up something, and pull it, and adjust as I feel it needs it. Most of the time, I don't have to move it again, sometimes, just enough to know its been moved it.
Click to expand...

John, That's how I do it.
 
My 72' chevy c20, yes used a timing light. My 1938 Farmall 20 no, it has magneto to retard and advance the spark. My 1950 Farmall M, no did not use a light, put cylinder 1 on TDC and used a dwell meter to show when current dropped off from points, and lock down the distributor.
 
Many times I will use a timing light or use a vacuum gauge, both work well. I use a small timing light with its own battery, just have to hook up the wire to #1 plug and go. It works on both 6 and 12 volt systems, no external power source. I believe it came from Summit Racing.
 
I use one for finding bad wires and worn bushings in the dist. Going from wire to wire you can see if you have constant fire to each plug missding flashes mean trouble somewhere
 
I use the best RPM method for timing, then back it off a little if idle is not smooth or it pings under full load.
 
I connect my light and then at high idle dial in the correct advance and have the light flash at TDC. When brought back to low idle you can see if the advance is working properly.
 
do I static time and 'ear' time old engines when bringing them back to life? ...yes
do I also throw a timing light on them when finished and once in a while after, to verify it's right and get as much as I can out of the engine?....also yes

no marks? add some
even if you aren't exact on an old engine, your light will show if the advance is at least working.
 
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