What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Timing Lights

nvrenuf

nvrenuf

Holy crap, it's running!
 Premium
GMOTM Winner
Joined
Jan 7, 2002
Posts
22,125
Reaction score
12,097
Location
Mobile, Al.
Anyone have experience with newer digital timing lights AND an MSD (or similar) box? I recently read in a FB group where a guy bought a new timing light with the digital advance / rpm display and it was inconsistent, the guy blamed it on the multi spark box causing the light to trigger incorrectly. The argument makes some sense but so does chinese junk, what says CK5?

I have a nice timing light but I want something with advance settings, preferably less than $100, I'm not racing or working on other peoples junk so I'd rather not spend more than that.

Something like this -

Or should I go old and simple like a used Craftsman, Sunpro, etc with an advance knob on the back off of ebay?
 
I have an Actron I got about 8-9 years ago from Advance Auto when I was working there. Digital, you can set advance/retard on the gun, and it is an inductive clamp.

I think I paid about 90 bucks for it, and it hasn't let me down yet. My dad has one from the 70's that I was using and that thing compared to this one is ancient.
 
I still rock the old Sunpro with the knob on the back. Bought it at a yard sale. I would expect it will outlast me.
 
swettysblazer said:
I have an Actron I got about 8-9 years ago from Advance Auto when I was working there. Digital, you can set advance/retard on the gun, and it is an inductive clamp.

I think I paid about 90 bucks for it, and it hasn't let me down yet. My dad has one from the 70's that I was using and that thing compared to this one is ancient.
Click to expand...

Ever used it on a vehicle with MSD, etc?

HankScorpio said:
I still rock the old Sunpro with the knob on the back. Bought it at a yard sale. I would expect it will outlast me.
Click to expand...

I'm watching an NOS Sunpro like yours on ebay now. ;)
 
@HankScorpio I hesitated too long on the NOS Sunpro and somebody bought it so I found an NOS Craftsman and bought it for a few bucks more.
 
nvrenuf said:
@HankScorpio I hesitated too long on the NOS Sunpro and somebody bought it so I found an NOS Craftsman and bought it for a few bucks more.
Click to expand...
I think it's all a guy needs. All I had to set was base timing on my pro flo and it's always seemed right on for my older trucks. I can't tune a carb well enough to tell if the timing is off half a degree anyway. I use a paint marker on the timing pointer and balancer and just dial in the timing I want. I still have a dwell gauge too but only the dune buggy has points.
 
I think the FB guy is full of it. the inductive pick up see the current surge in the spark plug wire, the msd box has already done it's thing by then. So either the gun is a POS or operator has had 1 to many.
A good gun with advance retard dial or buttons for digital is all you need. On computer controlled timing you are only setting the base. You can watch what computer does with the timing though, that is kinda fun and good info.
 
I run a Ford EDIS system on the K5 and enable the MSD function because the idle gets just a bit smoother. It's a message from the ECU to enable/disable. I do seem to remember having better results with the timing light by disabling the multiple sparks. Is there no such option with an MSD brand box? I don't know for sure since I use a timing light so rarely. Most cars don't even have timing marks now.

If you still have a regular spark module, can't you hook that up to set the timing, then swap back to the MSD amplifier?
 
Blue85 said:
I run a Ford EDIS system on the K5 and enable the MSD function because the idle gets just a bit smoother. It's a message from the ECU to enable/disable. I do seem to remember having better results with the timing light by disabling the multiple sparks. Is there no such option with an MSD brand box? I don't know for sure since I use a timing light so rarely. Most cars don't even have timing marks now.

If you still have a regular spark module, can't you hook that up to set the timing, then swap back to the MSD amplifier?
Click to expand...

I run an MSD 6AL (analog) with a "mindless" MSD distributor, this set up doesn't offer the ability to bypass the box. To bypass the box I guess I would need an HEI distributor so I could switch the pick ups to bypass the box.
 
I have had timing lights that won't trigger right on the MSD multiple spark system. I run the old school Snap-On adjustable timing lights. They run perfectly on MSD. Found the one I have in a pawn shop.20230428_081030.jpg
 
Last edited:
Wes Harden said:
Multiple? as in waste spark systems?
Click to expand...
multiple spark events, like 3 in a millisecond.

It's really the dial lights that don't like multiple spark, because so many events messes up the math of interpolating between events. Usually an old-school light (no dial) or a dial one set to zero will work (mostly). Basically the light triggers on the first of the several sparks and it can't reset fast enough, so the additional sparks are ignored. Then you use an expanded timing mark set or wrap the balancer with timing tape and everything is fine. It just acts kind of jumpy, so you have to be careful and more patient.

(I have timing tape, so no problem, but the computer does the timing so I don't have to check it under any more than 1 condition. Just verify that the measured timing at idle matches what the computer thinks it is.)

http://www.dainst.com/info/edis/edi...nables the MSD below 1800RPM on these engines.
 
Ahh. thanks. If that Snap light works then my 86 Mac should work in same circumstances
 
The timing light I bought is an older dial type, hopefully it will work ok. I have an non advance type light that I'll use to compare the setting.
 
Mine is a matco dial type. Bought around ‘04. Works fine on msd.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom