Vintage Sun Tune Up, Testers, Scopes, Analyzer, Distributor Thread

A few in my shop:

Engine Performance Tester EET-1160 (on rail) and Volt-Amp Tester VAT-26.


Master Distributor Tester MD-5 and Electronic Engine Tester EET-1120.

All work except distributor machine (bad tube; looking for replacement).

 

i have never seen one on a rail before, very cool and frees some up space. For the tube call Paramount Distributor, I have their contact information in the first post, the tube is a bit pricey but it will get it up and running.

 

i have update the first post with another link i found under "Some Sun Projects"

 

found another sun thread...never even knew there was a sun manometer. I picked up a sun tester not long ago and had a strange bracket in the back. I was looking through the cabinet today and pulled out the manuals, one of them was for a manometer. to bad it was not there, must have been broken off long ago.

http://www.thegaragegazette.com/index.php?topic=18483.0

 

I have an MD1 tester that came with the retractable (2.1 in.hg scale) manometer attached to the back of the machine. It also came with a longer manometer with a 6.1 in.hg range.

 

i'm jealous, i'm on a hunt for one now....they are very cool

 

Well, I'm hooked. I've always been a vintage electronics guy as well as car nut, so I think I just have to get one of these old engine analyzers. I've started looking on Craigslist and found this one on the Greenville, SC Craigslist. http://greenville.craigslist.org/clt/4533896679.html I think he's dreaming on the price, but I would hate to see it cut up for some stupid yuppie game room display. I'll keep looking to see if he comes to his senses on the price.

Scott.

 

I just picked this up for $75. Powers up fine. Have not tried the scope out yet....

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nice find!

 

yup $750 is extreme, i saw one locally not long ago for $100

 

I guess I'll jump in here. Several years ago, I bought a Sun scope at the Petaluma V8 Ford swap meet. The guy claimed it worked. It didn't, but it was an interesting piece of garage art for awhile, till I sold it because I needed the space more than the eye candy, but the best part? I paid 30 bucks for the scope, an old Coats Tireman tire changer, which I still have but don't use, and a home-made transmission jack that weighed as much as a dead horse. A year later at the same swap meet, I bought a Snap-On distributor tester for $85. Same story, "worked when we used it last about 20 years ago". It didn't. But I opened up the back and found the factory manual stuffed inside, and with just a few bad electrical connections fixed, I got it working. That one got sold for about $385 as I recall, because it only worked for point-type distributors, not electronic ones. I hadn't heard of a pulse amplifier. A couple of years ago, I bought this Sun 504 distributor tester from a local hot rodder who used to teach auto shop and welding at the local junior college. I paid 500 bucks for it, and he threw in a newer bottom cabinet which wasn't so-called correct for the dist machine, but nevertheless, was a later Sun cabinet, and sweetened the deal. I had to pucker up a little, to pay $500, but the machine is in nice, working condition, and I wasn't finding any others. With some clean up and a little repair to the broken caster mounts, the cabinet worked out good, too. I've since bought a manual and a pulse amplifier from Paramount distributor, so I can fool with MSD, Pertronix, HEI, or other pointless distributors. For what it's worth, I bought a home-made pulse amplifier from a guy off e bay for about $65. It works, but it's cumbersome, requiring a 12 volt battery to provide power, and a wiring mess so confusing you have to consult the home-drawn schematic every time you hook it up.

 

you did real good on the distributor machine! I paid well over a $1000 for mine, thanks for the post

 

The guy I sold the Snap On distributor tester and the Sun scope to lived in Idaho, and he said he didn't care if they worked or not, because they looked so cool. I asked what he was gonna do with 'em, and he said he'd bought an old gas station in the little town where he lived. It was his hobby shop, and he just wanted some vintage shop equipment to decorate it. I guess I'd do the same if I had the room, but some of that stuff takes up too much space. I did buy a Sun Volt-Ampere tester on a small roll-around stand. Bought it at the In Rust We Trust swap meet in Sacramento last year for 25 bucks. It works, but a free Harbor Freight multimeter will probably do the same functions. It looks cool though, and doesn't take up much real estate. I'll take a picture of it one of these days and throw it on here.

 

i'll post up another picture of my Snap On distrib-u-scope

 

Here're a couple pictures of the Sun Volt-Ampere tester I mentioned

 

I guess we need a other thread. I ran a tune up specialty shop all Allen in the 70s. Later in life I did demos all over Ontario for KAL hired By Hastings Ring Company. Still have my kal scope.
Most of the stuff including the Sun dist machine will die by virtue of failed capacitors. Any of the paper can be replaced by what are known as orange drops and as long as voltage rating exceeds original they are fine. Orange drops are almost indestructable. Original ones were wax and paper. Usually a hiss pop sound and then some strange smelling smoke. Orange drops can be bought any time off Ebay.
don

 

Just bought a sun 404 machine this weekend. It was on craigslist for a week until my brother told me about it. The guy told me that everyone that called wanted to plug it in before they bought it. Don't know if it works or not going to clean out the mouse stuff and replace cords first. The really cool thing is it had a pulse amplifier hanging on the top of it. So if i can get it to work i will probably sell the mdt that i bought last winter and haven't used yet.

 

Here's my Allen Syncrograph. I don't know the exact age but I have had it 40+ years. It still works just fine.

 

Sorry for the double picture, don't know what happened. Fat fingered???

 

I just intercepted a Sun 1020 from the scrap heap, but all of the leads were all cut off at the boom by the scrapper. Anyone know where I can get them?

 

Just remove the back and replace the trace leads and that 1020 should be back in action.

The link below is a website that I just found with some repair documentation on specific Sun modules.

http://www.liblbc.info/index.php/test-equipment/sun-electric/distributor-testers

Oldmics

 

Thank you for the link!

Does anyone have a source for the "clamps" that go on the business end of the leads? The alligator clips are nothing to worry about, its those induction clamps that I am concerned about.

Thanks again.
30dodgeboy

 

I have this unit and it has all the leads EXCEPT the one for the O-Scope. Any idea where I can find one?
Verne

 

For all of that weirdo connection stuff - try eMailing Robert Masters.

[email protected]

Hes a wealth of goodies on this Sun stuff.

Oldmics

 

You can use an HEI module and 12 VDC power source to make your point distributor machine work.


Ago

 

These finally arrived the other week in the container.

 

I am helping a friend who is clearing a building and will be selling some Sun test equipment. We would like to get an idea of a price to ask for this dizzy tester. It does have the rare manometer on it as can be seen in the picture. We need to dig it out and get more pics I realize but was hoping for some input. All seem to be in good condition with no broken gauge faces and nice patina on the cabinet. Assume not working though whereas we do not know how to test. attached are some pics of the other pieces too.

 

old Allen Electric Servicer E535
It spins magnetos & generators a few pics to prove it's real
interesting tungar rectifier tubes.
Sure would be nice to have some paperwork on it!

 

Wow you probably could get a pretty penny for just those tubes.

 

Am looking for a Sun cabinet to park my 504 on. Do you still have yours Bucksnort?