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| | | Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 pooh-bah | OP pooh-bah Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 | Hi,
I'd like to ask if anyone has ever seen or knows where I could find the type of timing light with the probe-type inductive pickup that slides into the little tubes next to the harmonic balancer on my 1981 Dodge 318 LA engine?
Really what I'm looking for would be a picture of the inductive pickup...
I've been looking for several hours to no avail... I know such probes existed; they're described in my Chrysler service manuals, and in the manual for my Sunn Sleuth ignition analyzer, but I've never seen one from "in the day".
I have several timing lights, including one which my Son wrecked by allowing the clamp-on pickup to slip over into his Cutlass's headers. I could easily splice a modern in-line inductive pickup in place of the ruined clamp, and maybe use O-rings to hold it in place in the tubes, but I'd like to replicate the original shape if possible.
I believe the original probes had some form of rotary locking mechanism from a reference I read on their use. The article also indicated that using the harmonic balancer as the trigger source was more precise than using the #1 ignition wire, and that all engines leaving the factory were set up using the harmonic balancer and inductive probe technique... Sounds like it would be well worth replicating.
Clear skies!
-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van It's what you learn after you know it all, that counts... Are you living to work, or working to live? Learning from my own mistakes is good, learning from yours would be much better! | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 Supreme Master | Supreme Master Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 | I've seen it mentioned as well but never seen one in person.
Nate Breece | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 pooh-bah | OP pooh-bah Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 | Hey, great news; I actually managed to locate one of these magnetic timing trigger probes, and at the very survivable price of $20 + shipping! My Dodge 318 engine has two separate provisions for mounting this, and from what I've read, these were actually how the engines were timed when they left the factory. These probes are ideal for checking timing, as they detect the grooves on the harmonic balancer, which is firmly attached to the crankshaft, so the pulse timing won't vary. This eliminates all the nonsense from the slop in the distributor and vacuum advance systems, as well as the potential for erratic trigger signals due to bad spark plug wires, etc. BTW, in case it might be of use to anyone as a worksheet, here's a copy of the test report sheet that a garage would fill out when your engine was tested with a Sun Sleuth engine analyzer. Clear skies!
-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van It's what you learn after you know it all, that counts... Are you living to work, or working to live? Learning from my own mistakes is good, learning from yours would be much better! | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 211 enthusiast | enthusiast Joined: Jan 2006 Posts: 211 | Neat! Good thing I never worked on your engine, or that tube for slipping that thing into would be in the garbage. LOL. Seriously though, I've never actually run into one of those, only heard about them in myth from the old guys. | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 28,125 Madman! | Madman! Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 28,125 | I've never seen one before either. Great find! | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 pooh-bah | OP pooh-bah Joined: Mar 2007 Posts: 4,463 Likes: 12 | It's rainy, so I just took a picture of the tip of the Sun engine analyzer's magnetic timing probe for the heck of it. I haven't made up my mind if it's a Hall effect sensor or an inductive pickup, but since it uses 3-wires, it's probably a Hall effect sensor. Clear skies!
-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van It's what you learn after you know it all, that counts... Are you living to work, or working to live? Learning from my own mistakes is good, learning from yours would be much better! | | | Re: Inductive pickup (not clamp-type) timing lights? | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 Supreme Master | Supreme Master Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 21,211 Likes: 25 | Looks like a colonoscopy probe! Ahahahahah!
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