magneto...can i use shift light

I have a late sixties don zig magneto with tach drive for my bbc ...question is there any way to hook up a shift light now?

 

About 15 years ago I bought a Cirello Magneto to replace the dual point distributor in my vintage dirt car. I had a neat old Mallory tachometer on the car that I wanted to use, but couldn't figure out how to hook it up. I found a device that clamped on one of the plug wires for (I think) $15.95, at J.C. Whitney no less. I hooked it up, ran the sensing wire to the tach and it worked fine. Since the shift light probably works by just sensing the number of firing impulses per time period, I see no reason why it wouldn't work for it as well. If you need it, I can look at it tomorrow and see if there is a part # or manufacturer code on it.

 

Joe Hunt sells athing to run a tach and shift light off of for 85$

 

Autometer #5302 can be used as a rev limiter or shift light indicator with a vertex style mag. They have other model numbers of OAX mags and other ignitions as well.

 

I assume you are asking about a tachometer actuated shift light. If the tach works with the ignition the shift light will work.

 

what i have is a tach drivin by cable. i want to add a shift light to this setup. Any info on adding this will be appreciated.

 

As every other magneto pulse changes polarity you can use anything four cylnder and just use the correct pulse.........

 

Can you expand on this?

 

BTW, you have a Don ZIG magneto.

 

to the top anyone?

 

With a mechanical tach, there isn't really any way to get the light connected electrically. I suppose you could hook the cable to a VRS (electronic speedo conversion) and get digital pulses out of that, but then you lose the mech tach drive...

As Bubba pointed out, you can use an inductive pickup on a plug wire. I have tried those (tachs) and haven't had the best consistency with them...maybe it's me.

 

Look at MSD, pro mag tach converter. Dont know how/if it will work with your ZIG, but if you call they are quite helpful.

 

Yes, autometer makes a shift light for a magneto.

 

I believe those are triggered off the transformer (coil). I think the OP has an internal coil mag. Would the ground wire post work the same way?

 

Autometer makes models that work with both internal or external coils. The #5302 will work with an internal coil Vertex type mag. I'm using one as a rev limiter, but it can be wired as a shift light trigger was well - unfortunately it will not do both at the same time.