How many of you still own a timing light?

[mjarrels]

I do... still own a set of wrenches for the distriburter... Always hated GM cars with the rear distriburters... It was like 6" away from the front of my 1970 Grand Prix... Could smoke the tires from a dead start thou!

mark

 

[kenmac]

A timing light and Dwell meter still reside in a spot in the basement!

Same here.

 

[wrench57]

I still own and use all of them every month as there are a lot of the older stuff still around that require them. Just got done using the vaccumn guage on an 85 3/4 ton ford 460 that was only getting 2 miles to the gallon. Found the vaccumn less than 4 so the metering rods in the edelbrock were not pulling down. Used the vaccumn pump to find a bad dist. advance. Still valuable tools in the trade.

 

[anojones]

I just used mine on my 95 F-250 , the timing is computer controlled but you can bypass the computer to set the initial timing and then let the computer take back over. This was after replacing the distributor,not that it was bad but a sensor on it was-to much grief to get the sensor off. I've had that light forever, thought I'd never use it again.

 

[jinman]

I've got the chrome timing light, dwell-tach, spark plug sand blaster, point file, point and spark plug gapper, vacuum tester, compression tester, and side draft carb airflow measuring/balancing gage right next to my 300 baud acoustic coupler modem in a box in my shed. Somewhere I even have a Briggs and Stratton harmonic tachometer that you sit on your engine, and it has a reed that vibrates when the engine is set to exactly 3600 rpm. I never sell or throw any of that "valuable" stuff away.

 

[KWentling]

I've got one around here somewhere. Last used probably 10 years ago to set the timing on my '67 Case 830.

Kim

 

[skipmarcy]

I have 2 - a Craftsman I bought around 1970 and then my digital Snap-On I paid over $400 for back around 1988. A timing light is a good ignition diagnostic tool even on late models if your engine has spark wires instead of coil-over ignition. I also still have my Snap-On scanner I bought in 1988 - it will still work on OBD2 systems today although I haven't had it hooked to a vehicle in about 4 years when I diagnosed a dead crank sensor on my friend's 7.3L Powerstroke.

 

[Redbug]

I have one, too. And I haven't used it in years. After thinking about it, I don't have anything that I would use it on... If I ever have a yard sale I guess it will go on the table.

I guess they have gone the way of the buggy whip.

 

[lhfarm]

I have one, too. And I haven't used it in years. After thinking about it, I don't have anything that I would use it on... If I ever have a yard sale I guess it will go on the table.

I guess they have gone the way of the buggy whip.

As long as people restore, use or just love old tractors, cars and jeeps, there is a need. You won't have any trouble finding someone who would love to have a spare. I lost (as in loaned to someone and never got it back) my analog dwell meter. I replaced it with a new digital model and don't really like it. I hadn't thought of searching yard sales for one, but when I retire later this summer, I'll put that on my list of things to do.

 

[Bird]

My timing light was still in the box and looked new. I think I only used it once, but I sold it in a garage sale nearly 8 years ago.