Technical Recommendations for A dwell meter

I'm looking to buy a dwell meter Is that is just that. Dwell and rpm. I like the old style ones with the needle. And I've bought a couple but they're all old and junk. Does somebody make one like it? I've got a dwell meter on my timing light, but it works on 12 volts and a few of my customer's cars and one of mine is 6 V. Any recommendations?

 

All I can say is don’t umm, DWELL on this too much. Hehe.

 

Lots of analog dwell tach meters here:
https://www.ebay.com/b/Automotive-Dwell-Meters/179483/bn_71620146

 

Try a pawn shop? You might find an older good brand

 

I ordered a couple new old stock ones from eBay, but they turned out to not work at all. I just ordered another one new in the box so we shall see.

 

IF you're a FoMoCo guy.....throw them in the s---can !
They are useless.(duraspark/Ford distribs. don't have a window OR the adjustment screw a Shivel-lay does.)
6sally6

 

Is a dwell meter even voltage sensitive?

 

Don't think so but my timing light is 12v and has a display and doesn't work on the 6v

 

I don't miss points at all. especially on a daily driver

 

2 of my dailys have points.one is dual

 

The factories seem to have electronic ignition pretty well figured out; the aftermarket, not so much.

To get back to the original subject, I just bought one off of eBay. It does not need external power and works just fine.

 

Share a link?

 

Why don’t you just use a 12v battery to power it?

 

I couldn’t find a new analog one recently so bought a digital one. Works fine for gapping, whether it is too damped to show any flutter I don’t know.

 

I've got an old analog that I bought at a church yard sale a few years ago. I'll have to wait until my OT truck gets back from having a pilot bearing and clutch installed ( Pilot bearing froze up and I am not physically able to wrestle with the compound 4 speed) to test it but I just bought it because it was an old dwell meter/tach and don't have a need for it and if it works after I test it you can have it for what ever the cost of the USPD priority mail box is.

 

I too was looking this week. I considered a vintage Snap-On from ebay, but just grabbed a cheap "automotive" DMM to get me by for the time being. It's gotta be as accurate as a matchbook, right?

In my research on dwell setting (never done it before, didn't even know what it was), I ran across a youtube video on using dwell to set points on Mopar (and Ford) stuff. He just cranked with no cap and set them that way.
If you are interested:

I time my 6V stuff by using an outboard 12V battery to power the light. Works just fine.

 

I have an OG Sears one, unless it got pitched in a frenzy. I will take a look for it today.

 

I meant "merely bought one off eBay", not "recently bought one off eBay". It was several years ago, so sorry, no link. Just a typical old analog tach/dwell meter (used), unpowered that works on any voltage. I favor old Mallory flattop dual point distributors and it is necessary to set the points.

 

I have a FoxValley tach-dwell that is just like the one my dad used in the 60’s. It didn’t work when I got it. Usually it the batteries inside are old and leaking. I took it apart cleaned all the battery contacts replaced the batteries works like new.

 

Back in HS I had a 289 Ford and I could never set points with any accuracy with a feeler gauge when checked with a dwell meter. I ended up cranking it over without the cap to check the dwell. I do remember the cranking dwell vs the running dwell was always a bit different. So it took several attempts to dial it in. Not a Chevy guy but I still wished that Ford used a window cap distributor. It certainly would have made it easier to set the dwell.

 

I have a couple, I got them at swap meets. I run points in my coupe & RPU.

 

I know you want an analog meter, but most good digital volt/ohm meters will measure duty cycle which is what dwell is.

 

The Fox Valley meter was the first piece of "electronic" test equipment that I bought around 1969. I still have it.

 

Turn this into a tech thread.

 

@Moriarity your face… has served much better then the one I have.

I’ll go out later and pull the Sun kit down and take a pic of it to show how badly mine is cracking.

 

The GM HEI system has a dwell reading when the module is working correctly. I don't remember the numbers at the moment. I think it was around 15 at idle and increased with rpm. So the meter is useful for more than setting points.

 

I bought mine off E Bay. It was new or used very little. Works like a champ on my 6v and 12 vehicles.
was $20.00 shipped.
Vic