Timing light ?

[VROD02]

Any tricks to time with light? meaning the 24 v wires are two thick and metal braded. Will the sensor pick up the signal anyway?

[VROD02]

I found this
http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.ph ... 4be04a0dc1

[MSeriesRebuild]

Any non shielded wire will work as an adapter, 4 degrees before TDC is the best performance.

[Nickathome]

Any non shielded wire will work as an adapter, 4 degrees before TDC is the best performance.

I have the adapter for the waterproof plugs that has the brass nipple that you are supposed to attach the timing light to. I tried two different timing lights and could not get either to light up. What am I doing wrong? I used a separate 12v battery as my source because I couldn't get the timing light wires to reach to one of the truck's batteries.

[pfrederi]

I think there are a couple of different style timing lights. Some have to be in the circuit to work (current has to pass through their pick up on it way to plug mine has a coil spring one end goes in the wire and one on the plug) others are inductive...they have to clamp around a section of unshielded wire to sense the current passing by.

My milspec tach/dwell meter has a 2inch long clamp that has to go around the unshielded adapter wire to work...I had tried just clamping it to the brass nipple and got nothing.

[Nickathome]

I think there are a couple of different style timing lights. Some have to be in the circuit to work (current has to pass through their pick up on it way to plug mine has a coil spring one end goes in the wire and one on the plug) others are inductive...they have to clamp around a section of unshielded wire to sense the current passing by.

My milspec tach/dwell meter has a 2inch long clamp that has to go around the unshielded adapter wire to work...I had tried just clamping it to the brass nipple and got nothing.

I tried every which way but Sunday and still got nothing. Both lights I tried (one was borrowed, one I bought) were of the inductive type. I tried clamping to the unshielded part of the wire, still nothing so pretty much gave up.

[pfrederi]

Nick : Sounds like you are doing things right..don't understand why it doesn't work. I have a very old timing light and i usually bring one of my garden tractors over to use as a power source. (I assume your battery is OK) Have you tried hooking the light to #2 cylinder...just to see if it flashes as there may be a problem with your #1 plug wire....

There also were old neon timing lights that didn't use any external power the flash was developed by the voltage in the spark plug wire. They weren't very bright but they would work on any voltage system....

[Rick C]

The only way my timing light worked using a separate battery was to run a jumper cable from the battery neg post to a ground on teh truck.....
Rick

[Nickathome]

Nick : Sounds like you are doing things right..don't understand why it doesn't work. I have a very old timing light and i usually bring one of my garden tractors over to use as a power source. (I assume your battery is OK) Have you tried hooking the light to #2 cylinder...just to see if it flashes as there may be a problem with your #1 plug wire....

There also were old neon timing lights that didn't use any external power the flash was developed by the voltage in the spark plug wire. They weren't very bright but they would work on any voltage system....

Actually no, haven't thought to try that, but will give it a go, thanks.

[Nickathome]

The only way my timing light worked using a separate battery was to run a jumper cable from the battery neg post to a ground on teh truck.....
Rick

This I think I did try. Don't remember it working for me, however I will revisit this, thanks.