Vintage Sun Tune Up, Testers, Scopes, Analyzer, Distributor Thread

That is a beautiful machine and exactly what I would like. My problem with that one, is that the shipping and customs would be a killer.
Thanks for posting it, maybe someone closer will see this and pick it up.
Bob

 

I realized I showed up late to this one, however I just finished restoring a SNAPON MT-665 automotive analyzer for which there exists no documentation or schematics. It took months to accomplish. I have posted a collection of 9 movies documenting the restoration on youtube if anyone is interested.

 

Here is my dad's old Allen distributor machine. The tach didn't work, so he improvised.

 

Good stuff!

 

These are certainly nice pieces of test equipment. Unfortunately I do not have a manual for the Sun 920 but I did find a manual for a VAT-20 which appears to have the same features as my VAT-26. The operation of these is pretty straight forward and I have owned and operated these since 1983 without a manual. If you know of a manual I would love to look at it and see if there are engine diagnostic steps spelled out.

 

I'm new here. Just purchased a Sun TUT 1001, build in 1979. Came with a lot of equipment. How can I be sure that all of that is part of my SUN? Are there catalogs for that? Are there any spare parts, because it has a broken connector in the arm. And what kind of filter do I need for the CO tester? Just have a manual with it, no parts list.

 

Hi Guys. Awesome thread and some good info. I picked up a SUN Standard Distributor Tester (Model SDT) a couple years ago. It is all there and I started disassembling it to try and see if there are any obvious problems (which I've found a few so far). I did get the drive motor running (cool vintage GE A-C motor). The vacuum pump motor seems dead, best I can tell is that it is a 6V DC motor - having trouble finding much info about it. That leads me to this question. I've seen a fair amount of info for the 400 and 500 series, but does anyone know where I might be able to come up with a wiring diagram and/or service manual for the SDT model? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

These guys

http://www.paramountd.com/repair.html

Oldmics

 

The important thing is never operate or even plug in the unit unless and until the DC power supply has been squared away. The electrolytic capacitors and waxed paper coupling and bypass should first be replaced, along with any resistors out of spec. Vacuum tubes and other components are pretty rugged in these applications but they will get smoked drawing excessive current if this is not done. AC transformers are sometimes proprietary and $$ if you can even find one, except maybe by cannibalizing another unit. Maybe you know all this already, but I'd hate to see a cool unit get trashed! "Plug it in and see if it works" is really bad stuff on vintage electronics.

 

Working on this one that belongs to @chopnchaneled today. Its running now but the dwell and RPM meter need new caps. After spending this much time on it, hate to not sand blast it and restore it all the way ....








This is how silicon diodes changed everything - 2 little diodes compared to the equivalent tube diode


Replacing the tube with 1960's diode technology



The dwell meter is still off - needs caps

 

Here's a pic of my old scope it came from a service station in Rubidoux, Ca at the corner of Pacific and Mission Blvd.

 

Right, but that tube would last practically forever in that application wouldn't it? At least with fresh power supply caps installed. Tube rectifiers are slow to ramp up voltage too, sort of a "soft start". Semiconductor diodes are instant on, though maybe it doesn't matter here. I'd have left it just because. Thanks for the pics!

 

The diodes come with the kit - didn't really think about leaving it in place but I guess you could. The 6v battery that was used and has some external alligator clips, was replaced with a laptop battery charger. I don't have a schematic for this one, was wondering if there's a way to eliminate the 2 D cell batteries in the dwell and tach.

 

I'd bet a set of good quality flashlight batteries would last about forever in that application. The "Industrial" type. Getting harder to find commercial alkalines that won't leak though.

 

This is the machine I picked up a few weeks ago. I’m in the process of cleaning it up. It says the model is a UDT-M1. I believe it is from 1958. My plan is to use it but I have no manuals. I’ve seen several people on here that might have a manual that could be close. I think I may have to have a MDT manual for the distributor part and an engine analyzer for the other parts but if there is anyone that can help I could really use it.

 

That looks like a military one, impressive machine for sure.

 

That is a machine with great potential. I hope your restoration goes well. I have some information for a much smaller Sun machine, and although I doubt it would be helpful, I would have no problem sharing it.
Bob

 

If you are having a problem obtaining components, I have a lot of pulled military grade high voltage electrolytic capacitors. I also have a bunch of octal tubes. If you need something like that, I might be able to help you. I have the ability to check the components, including a mutual conductance tube tester, so there would be no guess work as to the quality.
Bob

 

I actually found a book on eBay. Thank goodness no one throws anything away like I don’t.

 

Well I can sort out most of the knobs and dials on this machine, but do you have any idea of what the function of the "COMBUSTION BOOSTER" is? This rig has about three times as many gauge modules as most distributor machines I've seen or laid hands on.

 

Got a 504 that is used weekly in my shop.

 

The combustion booster has a probe/sniffer that slides in to the tail pipe for lean/ rich. If you have all the parts and it works, it’s kinda handy to use.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

Thanks for the added info and for making me go back and look things over more closely. Looking at the above pictures again, that's starting to make some sense. The lower combustion Booster panel with the knobs on it also has what appears to be a hose port for the tailpipe probe or sniffer. The panel above that looks to have a small fan behind the glass window which could supply a vacuum source for that hose port.

The gauge at the top of the stack is hard to read but I think it says "Combustion Efficiency" and the scales probably read HC and/or CO. This setup would give you a distributor machine with some of the added functions of the full size Sun Engine Analyzer, but without some of the bulk of the big-ass scope module and all its controls.

 

Anybody know of a source for replace decals for vintage Sun cabinets? I'm restoring one from the 50's and need replacement decals for the base cabinet. Especially the one that says "6 and 12 Volt".

 

@sportster-bob you might try the guy that restores them? I think it is Paramount something or other?

 

http://www.paramountd.com/parts.html

 

Glad to see my thread is still kicking! Its been a while since I checked it out.

 

I'd like to see a retail price sheet for those big Sun machines and Allen distributor testers from 1945, 1955, 1965, right in there.

What did they cost when new? Had to have been a major cost, though any big shop had to have one. For a while after they became "obsolete" many of them were dumped unceremoniously at the landfill, I'll bet. Couldn't give them away. They take up a lot of space and the WAF is very low.

I barely remember as a little kid being on vacation with the family in Colo. and we had some kind of car trouble, and the shop had a couple of those Sun machines. I thought I'd stumbled onto the real Wizard of Oz or Dr. Frankenstein. Stay away kid, ya bother me.

 

Hey all, I'm a new member here and got some great answers on a thread I started on the model "A" Mallory YL series distributor.

I have a working CCT-10 and both manuals, I'll scan them and put them up here soon.

I did scan one manual years ago and sent it out on the net to a gentleman so I've always wondered if the one out there now is from my scans as there was not a manual on the net at the time I did it.

I'm not going to sell copy's, it'll be free of charge, the first is manual #692-245
And the second is #692-634.

I paid $20 for the working tester and manuals at a swap meet in the late 90's.

Can't beat that.

Mark

 

I'd think that price sheets for these machine are fairly rare. Rather than being purchased outright, probably 80% or more of them were leased. When the leases ran out, Sun technically retained "ownership" of the off-lease machines and did their best to crush or otherwise disable them. I imagine Allen and the other vendors did likewise. They didn't want the used machines out in the market where they would dilute the potential leases, or sales, of their new equipment.