Timing Light Recommendation?

Looking for a reasonably priced advance timing light but don't feel like battling eBay for weeks. Any recommendations?

 

Although I now mainly use a MATCO digital Dial Back, I got along just fine for Years with a Craftsman from the mighty Sears

 

I've got a Actron that I bought to replace a broken light not to long ago. Works pretty well. And you can pick them up at your local parts place pretty reasonable.

http://www.google.com/products/cata...log_result&ct=image&resnum=4&ved=0CFIQ8gIwAw#

 

X2 on the Craftsman.

 

Just FYI, the Craftsman Professional Digital is an Actron.

 

They have a bad habit of putting there name on other brand names. Oh ya timing lights, still useing my old sun pro so i have not had to shop for one.

 

I have always used the snap on . I like the dial on the top so I can use the TDC mark and also have the option to set it on 0 and use the balancer timeing marks. Works good both ways.

 

i use an Actron CP7504 i bought at Napa a few years ago. inductive pickup , no fancy dials to mess with and works fine. i see it's $41.99 on their website , #BK 7002331

 

I was at an auction a few years ago and got two inductive lights for all of two bucks. I finally used one a couple weeks back and it worked just fine. I dunno how you could go wrong there, unless you're doing some real super fine-tuning on a hot motor.

 

I bought a Craftsman dial-back for about $60. I hate spending money, but I like that timing light a lot.

-Brad

 

I'm sure are good ones there under" buy it now", probably buy one tonight, have it by the weekend...or, you can wait a few more days for all the replies, then go on a local search

Me, cheap..., Think my last one I bought was "sunpro"...been fine for 15 years...never would have bought it if I could have found a bulb for my Sun light...oh....think mine cost at the time about 16 bucks new (by itself, I payed a bit more to get the dwell meter), bet it's up to 25 bucks now...Pep Boys, Kragen, etc, carry them.

Dial back works fine on it, can't attest to the accuracy compared to a C-note unit, but heck, you use a light to get it close, the tune from there anyways..then use the same light to see what you have when you are all done.

So why buy a 100 dollar gun?

 

I still have my first timming light I bought at NAPA when I was 13 years old, a "flashlight" style with two cords, one goes on the spark plug and the other to the wire that went to the #1 plug, had to pull the hood down in the daylight to see it! HA HA, but I used untill I was 16 and was learning about tuning and then I bought a Sun Chrome unit, still works all these years later. It now is my loaner and I have bought several others since then including several Ferret brands, digital adjustable and now a self powered unit non adjustable for use on MSD ignitions. A little know fact is MSD says not use a adjustable light with thier boxes and to not use the same car as the battery power, if you don't have a self powered, you can just use a seperate 12 volt battery to get an accurate reading. Most folks are not that worried but when you have 20-30Gs in an engine and detonation can junk it, a timing light is cheap!

 

I couldn't have said it better!

 

You answered you're own question. When dealing with expensive high performance engines accuracy is very important. Also if you like to document what you're doing it helps.

I have their non-adjustable light, mainly got it to use on motorcycles. Very handy in a lot of situations.

 

I agree with "buy anything cheap that's inductive.". A couple keys are to mark your pointer and timing marks with white paint. It makes a world of difference. Also, if you're running a vacuum advance, take the time to learn the difference between spark-ported vacuum and manifold vacuum. I can't tell you how many times I work on cars where the advance is hooked-up to manifold vacuum and set initially with the hose connected. This gives full advance at idle, then drops off to zero when the throttle is stabbed....the exact OPPOSITE of what you want!

 

I use an engraver and then a white china marker makes the line really easy to see.

 

Pitt64, I must comment on your "Johnny Smoke" avatar. I wonder how many out here remember that commercial?
"Out of the land of the tobacco plant, came a tall, hard-riding, long, lean look.....known by his friends and enemies alike, goes by the name of Johnny Smoke, Johnny Smoke....."

Not sure just how effecive it was.... although I DO remember the words... I smoked for 35 years.....

 

I have an old one like this too, I use this type for Magnetos, can't use the advance type.