Kal-Equipment Company Dwell Meter

When I was a kid, I had an air cooled VW. I would remove distributor to put in new points and condenser. I would attach a protractor to rotor with rubber bands. Then I would rotate distributor, use an ohmmeter(old simpson 260) to determine the degrees the points were closed, the dwell angle.

I really don't think the dwell angle was that critical. The angle changes as points wear. Just set the points to recommended gap and dwell angle will be close.
 
I think I may have an old Kal dwell meter,and some other instruments.I think they are in a white metal box,and the lid opens up kind of like a clamshell.The dwell meter and whatever else is in there lay in some formed pockets,with the wires hanging down inside.I will have to look when I go out to the Model A shed.Seems I remember the instructions being in the box,all rolled up.I have piles of old/antique garage equipment like that.
 
I have a KAL Tach & Dwell meter. I bought it new from the local NAPA store back in the mid 60's. It had a booklet with it but I haven't seen the booklet for years.
 
(quoted from post at 05:11:02 11/21/18) Green goes to the points side of the coil, black goes to ground.
Now what else?
I've never seen one of those with a green wire. On mine, the red clip goes to the negative side of the coil and the black goes to ground.
 
In basic language a dwell meter tells you the amount of time the points are open vs closed (for battery ignitions only) measured in degrees of rotation. Think of it as an electronic means of setting the point gap. To use it you hook it up like the other guys have stated and start the engine. It should have a switch, 4-6 or 8 cylinder. It will read X degrees. If you dont have the dwell specs for the particular engine a dwell test tells you nothing. However it is possible to set the points accurately with a feeler, then check with a meter and write it down for future reference.
Even back in the day few people used them except on GM cars with a window in the cap so you could adjust the points while running. Other wise you had to set the points, reinstall the cap and recheck the dwell, remove the cap, re adjust. A dwell meter has very limited use in this day and age. Mine hasn't been used for at least 30 years.
 

First off the setting for 2/4/6/8 cyl was for the tachometer and had nothing to do with dwell angle.

Second, you did not have to have the cap and rotor on, to measure dwell. leave cap and rotor off and crank engine with a remote starter switch while key is on and you got a dwell reading. Some even used a remote crank and remote IGNITION bypass switch from under the hood.

And with gm and mazda rotary engines, you could set it running.
 
Haven't had this out in a day or two, bought it in the early 80s to adjust the dwell on the mixture control solenoids on the carbs. My old one wouldn't work for these. Even found the 13 page manual, just shows how to use on different car brands, same thing you'd find in a service manual.
cvphoto3238.jpg


cvphoto3239.jpg


cvphoto3240.jpg


cvphoto3241.jpg


cvphoto3242.jpg
 
Your are right about the switch, I knew there was something different so I went and dug mine out. There are different scales for dwell, mine has an 8 cyl scale and a 6 cyl scale and for 4 cyl you double the 8 reading, sorry about the miss information.
 
Dwell is the is the average degrees that the points are closed per cyl. in one revolution of the dist.
Small block chevs were .019 gap or 30 degree dwell for example.
As the dist. bushings would wear, the gap could be set perfect on one lobe and be off on another. Setting the dwell would give an acceptable average between all of the lobes.
 
One of the most important uses of a dwell meter was checking distributor shaft bushing/shaft wear.

Back in the day, you could set your point gap, and the engine would still run with no power. Gap would be right when re-checked. Dwell meter would show the changing dwell as the engine ran. It was a clue that the shaft was bad.

While I can wax philosophical on the good ol' days...I'm grateful for the quantum leap in technology when it comes to engine controls. Motors run better, and last longer.

Downside to the new tech is that we no longer are able to work on our machines. The builders have made everything proprietary, and we merely own the "license" to use it. Bogus to the max.
 
Reading the comments on the post about dwell meter's being basically obsolete tools that just sit on the shelf and collect dust got me to thinking.

Yes since the advent of electronic ignition the need for them has diminished but they are still a useful tool if you put your mind to it.

A dwell meter is basically measuring how long a circuit is closed or the duty cycle.

A dwell angle reading can be converted into a duty cycle percentage with some easy math.

If you are not handy with a calculator then many meter maker websites have tables with the conversions already done for you.

Duty cycle values are helpful to check on various systems from fuel injectors to sprayer nozzles or almost anything that utilizes a PWM control system.

As duty cycle is not a feature on many meter's trying to use a digital meter on a voltage scale to monitor high speed switching does not work on most meters as the display can not update fast enough.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top