Powering a Timing Light- the over-the-top way.

I just read through another thread, where several poor members had burned up their ignition coils by hooking up and powering their timing lights to the + post on the ignition coil. For those that don't know and those following along, never do this, OK.

Now this thread will likely start some pissing in the wind, but hey that's what I do best. For those that now I'm about thee most anal Engine Builder on the planet, keep reading.

We actually did a study on what I'm about to say decades ago, and it was proven to be effective. Again, this is for FYI and those that are a pain in the ass about doing stuff like me. The old fashioned way of hooking your timing light to the car in questions battery is 100% OK, but there is a better way.

Use another 12 volt power source not having any connection with the engine being timed. On the Dyno I always hook to a battery that lives forever on a Battery tender. At the track, a known 12 volt source such as a mule battery or even the tow rig. At home another good one is your garden tractor or riding mower, or again a 12 volt battery from the girlfriends car. At the home, instead of turning in a old battery for the core charge when it fails a load test, I keep it on a trickle charge and it becomes the timing light battery from then on. You probably have some ideas of your own, no right or wrong answer here for the most part.

For those interested back in college we found the cars own battery could falsely send " feedback " through the system effecting the accuracy of the reading. Again not important for 99.9 of those reading his, just the hoodlums that are looking for the .1% more perfect results. TR

 

I did not know that. Interesting. Thanks for the information.

 

Hmmm...Never thought about it. Thanks.

 

also you can use a standard timing light on a magneto ignition by hooking your power source to a battery,no need for this battery to be connected to anything else,the inductor over/onto the number one cylinder plug wire.

 

Here I will start the shit. Is does not matter what your timing light is showing on the balancer when you are setting your timing if you are setting for total performance. If you are useing a dyno or a race track whenyou get it set at its sweet spot and you note your timing that is showed with what ever you and how you set it on the balancer. Then you always use that system to check your timing on that engine and put some markes on the balancer so you would be able to check for slipage of the balancer.
Now as far as battery you would always check battery for voltage for optamal performance.

 

Also for 6v..

 

Advice and shit starting from one of the guy's that hooked his timing light to his coil, brilliant. Why don't you explain the " feedback signal " to us as well, I'll wait.

Almost 40 years on the Dyno, both engine and chassis, and having even taught the Dyno class at the largest tech school in the USA, and I still have no clue what your tuning for " total performance " means.


Shit starting is one thing regarding an opinion, but you are simply talking through your ass. Thanks for fucking up another thread.

 

Traditions, would he be meaning that every motor has a "sweet spot" rather than the factory setting, and after you find that and mark it, you can just return to that setting with the light???

I'm still learning at 59,just asking,not getting into the shit storm!!!

 

Well I see this thread will probably turn to a Shit slinging pissing match,Sorry to interupt,I shall now g.t.f.o.

 

Ok so total performance whould be getting to most out of a combination without detonation.
Now you are talking about setting timing not adjusting the advance curve.
So what ever way you set your timing on a said engine you whould always set it that way. So if when you set your timing and your said it was at say 50 when it was actually say 56 if we use your method it wouldnt make any differants if we always set are timing with the same light hooked up the same way.