Get a good name brand light and yes get one with a advance knob. I have a MAC timing light that I really like.

 

I've got an advance knob Craftsman that gets the job done.

 

Summit has good prices on good advance timing lights.

 

Get a good name brand light and yes get one with a advance knob. I have a MAC timing light that I really like.

I also have a Mac ... TL 500E

... and I like it.

 

I also have one of Mac Tools Timing lights along with a Snap-on electronic timing light. The electronic timing lights do not work with say MSD Ignition, they just "wig out"(like the old lady). I love my Mac Tools timing light when tuning HP engines.

 

I have a plain old light and wish every time I use it that I had got the one with the advance on it.

I'd love to have a wireless one.....they make them?

mmmmmm got to go google!

 

I have a plain old light and wish every time I use it that I had got the one with the advance on it.

I'd love to have a wireless one.....they make them?

mmmmmm got to go google!

WIRELESS! I wish multi meters were wireless too. :thumbup:

 

Here is a good link to consider before buying a timing light as we seen issues with timing lights at higher RPM's with them jumping around.

All the engines we build we degree in the balancers and set the timing at the RPM where the timing is fully adavaced and we run the engine up to 6 or 7000 RPM depnding on the build to make sure the timing stays steady all the way up through and most timing lights are all done over 3500 RPM.

Check this link out.
http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/173877/post/1298379/hl//fromsearch/1/#1298379

 

I would recommend getting a light with a metal, not plastic, spark plug wire clamp.

I have a nice Sears dial back and I melted 2 induction clamps, due to header heat, as I had to place the pickup down near the spark plug to get a good signal @3000 rpm.

At $45 for a new pickup, I decided to **** can the sears after the second pickup melted.

 

I would recommend getting a light with a metal, not plastic, spark plug wire clamp.

I have a nice Sears dial back and I melted 2 induction clamps, due to header heat, as I had to place the pickup down near the spark plug to get a good signal @3000 rpm.

At $45 for a new pickup, I decided to **** can the sears after the second pickup melted.

Put the clamp up by the dist. instead of down by the header and that won't happen.

 

i have a snap-on, although a little pricey it is the greatest. it has dial-back, reads rock solid at all RPMs, gives a digital readout of degrees advances and also reads RPMs digitally. one great feature is a button that switches the readout digitally from RPMs to degrees advanced and back. it makes it so easy to plot your advance curve. with my snap-on "i don't need no stinken distributor machine"--

 

I have a old Sunpro I bought back in the late eighties, it works great. I also bought a Craftmans about 13 or 14 years ago and it is not as good as my old Sunpro. I don't even know if they make Sunpro anymore, if they do I wonder if they are any good.

 

i have a snap-on, although a little pricey it is the greatest. it has dial-back, reads rock solid at all RPMs, gives a digital readout of degrees advances and also reads RPMs digitally. one great feature is a button that switches the readout digitally from RPMs to degrees advanced and back. it makes it so easy to plot your advance curve. with my snap-on "i don't need no stinken distributor machine"--

Yep I have one also, but they "wig out" with MSD Ignition.

 

I've got an advance knob Craftsman that gets the job done.

Craftsman is a great deal, and works as well as the higher priced models.

 

Yep I have one also, but they "wig out" with MSD Ignition.

hey carsavvy, they don't "wig out", they are just reading those multiple sparks. look at the first flash and ignore the rest. that snap-on light is just telling you the truth...

 

hey carsavvy, they don't "wig out", they are just reading those multiple sparks. look at the first flash and ignore the rest. that snap-on light is just telling you the truth...

They do too wig out, the advance and retard just keeps cycling and the light keeps spinning with it. You cannot tell where the timing is at at all. I've had it happen too many times, and there is nothing wrong with my light. Snap-on even says it can damage the light circuit board.

 

I actually did fry the circuit board in mine trying to set the timing on a 1/4 mile drag boat I was the crew chief of. A 481CID BBC with a dual stage nitrous system with 10 degree retard and rev limiter at 7800 rpm. I would raise that to 8100 rpm going for the trophy. We won high points championship in Unblown Fuel Jet Class.

 

The Sun pro Timming light is made by Acrutron

 

We have both Snap-On and a Mac Light but at the higher RPM that we set our timing at both lights just flicker once in a while and one of them makes the timing jump all over the place,

One of them says in the instructions not to be used with light weight parts such as crank, rods,ETC So the best light we have found is the one wire light.

 

Timing Light

I have a Snap On that I have had for 28 years and it still works great. You get what you pay for! Craftsman make a reasonable priced light. I would always have one with degree advance wheel.

 

I have a Snap On that I have had for 28 years and it still works great. You get what you pay for! Craftsman make a reasonable priced light. I would always have one with degree advance wheel.

I can tell you that the ones don't work worth a **** but we run a lot of lite weight components in our engines and MSD ing. and the one wire lite we use is only 40 dollars and it a very common light at the track.

 

Flaming River one wire - no dial back - right? The dial back lights are notoriously bad for race cars.

To the OP, just get timing tape and a Flaming River light - and be accurate.

 

I love my Snap-on light, but I won't use it on HP engines, because of it(what I call) wigs out. I use my Mac Tools light for those. I haven't seen or tried a single wire light yet. That most likely will be my next purchase from Snap-on.

 

CNC I know the single wire lights afre self powered. Are they bright enough for use outside. How long do the batteries last? I am just wondering if it will work good enough to use on a road test. It would be a great addition to my "I can't afford a dyno" equipment, if it is bright enough.

 

CNC I know the single wire lights afre self powered. Are they bright enough for use outside. How long do the batteries last? I am just wondering if it will work good enough to use on a road test. It would be a great addition to my "I can't afford a dyno" equipment, if it is bright enough.

Its as bright as any other lite out there and the batteries last over a year as all my customers use them at the tracks and we degree all our balancers.

 

Its as bright as any other lite out there and the batteries last over a year as all my customers use them at the tracks and we degree all our balancers.

Thanks CNC I'll order one on Friday. I'll see how long it takes this dealer to get me one. So far 3 weeks gone by and no 1 3/16 wrench. Also 3 weeks went by and when I asked him where 2 hose spigots(I gave him the part #) for my portable 5 gas anilyzer were, he called to order them while I was on his truck. I don't think he understands that I have more in my tool box than he has on his truck, and when I ask him to order something I need it(not the sales promo's on sockets/wrench's, or whatever. He is new so I need to have a Father/Son talk with him.