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Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:06 pm

Quick question;

Do I have to buy a strobe light or can I use the traditional circuit light to time a petronix flamethrower svda?

Thanks

Fri Mar 07, 2014 5:34 pm

What do the instruction that come with it say?

Fri Mar 07, 2014 6:43 pm

Instructions say use a strobe light...don't have one and don't want to buy just for this.

Fri Mar 07, 2014 6:44 pm

Bennym777 wrote: Instructions say use a strobe light...don't have one and don't want to buy just for this.

Then borrow one, or have someone use one to set the timing. There's no alternative for a vacuum-advance distributor....

Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:31 pm

It would be better to borrow one, but I did read somewhere for setting timing to start a motor you can take the coil wire off and watch for the spark to get it close enough to start the motor.

Turn the crank and match up the crank timing mark you want to the correct position, then slowly rotate the distributor with the ignition on and watch for the spark. Just make sure that you don't get between the coil wire and what ever you ground it against.

You don't want to leave the ignition on very long during this as it will burn up the electronics on some distributors.

Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:35 pm

I'll give you the answer you are looking for.... not the correct answer, but the one you want. Yep, works every time, just hook up a test light and thats it

Fri Mar 07, 2014 7:40 pm

mcmscott wrote: I'll give you the answer you are looking for.... not the correct answer, but the one you want. Yep, works every time, just hook up a test light and thats it
I won't loose any sleep over it.

Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:19 pm

You can statically time it to get close enough for starting it -- but you MUST time in dynamically time it with a timing light once you have it running, to make sure that you are not running TOO MUCH total advance....

There's really no alternative way to do it, or you risk frying your engine...

Sat Mar 08, 2014 7:25 pm

Get a timing light. Surely you know someone that has one. They're cheap at the autozone type stores if it comes down to it. I really should own one anyway.

Remove vacuum line, set your total advance and lock it down. Reattach vacuum line. Done.

IMHO, 30 degrees total for sea level, 32 if you're up in elevation a ways, 34 total if you're a mile high. Always works pretty well for me as a starting point.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 10:58 am

:) As a mechanic and the son of a mechanic who taught me many decades ago how to do a timing of sorts way before the invention of the timing light.

There is a point in the middle of the turning of the dist clockwise or counter clockwise that the engine will run it's best....all a matter of time going back and forth untill it sounds the best.....holding the engine at a steady RPM.

Occasionally I will do this on my own engine before double checking with my Tach/timing light.....keeps me on my toes so to speak.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 12:23 pm

Timing "by ear" is a sure was to either have a poor performing engine or a her running g engine.

Your dad should of taught you that.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 1:28 pm

:) Not to be a pisser here but I learned that on cars before you were born...AKA Model T's, Essex, Willys Knight and yes on early straight 6 and early V8 engines....like I said before timing lights were invented.

I'm 82 and still will check my 1776cc Turbo timing by ear and DOUBLE check with the timing light.....keeps the cobwebs away.

Not everyone carrys a timing light in their car 24/7 and my OLD method will work in a pinch if done properly w/o doing any engine damage.

There are some old timers here who would agree with me I'm sure.

In the old days a mechanic rebuilt/repaired Generators/coils, starters as there was NO parts house to phone. I saw this many times watching my dad at his Licensed repair shop behind our house (circa 1930/40's)

I know a lot but not everything by any means and chagrin on anyone that may think they know everything there is to know not having the old experience of past yrs. (tongue in cheek).

Some yrs back on my way to the Bugarama at Sacramento had the timing chain break on my Chevy PU and was towed to a local garage for repair. The owner set the timing on my small block by EAR and I asked him to please double check it and guess what....it was right on the nose when using his timing light...go figure.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 1:33 pm

HRVW wrote: :) Not to be a pisser here but I learned that on cars before you were born...AKA Model T's, Essex, Willys Knight and yes on early straight 6 and early V8 engines....like I said before timing lights were invented.
Water cooled engines are much more tolerant to too much ignition advance. I've seen as little as 2* too much cause an engine to run hot and quickly cause problems.

If you have a timing light... why not use it to begin with? If you don't then maybe you shouldn't be working on air cooled VWs.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:07 pm

I bought a strobe...I did time it by ear first and then checked with strobe..it was bang on the money.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 5:37 pm

:D Thankyou, Thankyou Benny....you proved my point and made my day.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 6:00 pm

so I bet you also torque all the bolts by feel along with end play and valve lash.

Sun Mar 09, 2014 9:41 pm

Sarcasim is generally used to cover up a total lack of CLASS.

My Snap On rollaway is full of guages, torque wrenches (clicker) and the usual tools a mechanic needs for engine repairs...the list would be too long to post here.

I find the above comment posted to be very insulting and unprofressional to say the least.

Would you say that to Modok and few others who also know the VW engine and it's capabilities?

I could say a few choice words but probably would be banned from Samba......I have more CLASS then that.

I'm done here.

Mon Mar 10, 2014 3:52 am

Telling someone to time their engine by ear is misleading.

Maybe you have a trained ear but I doubt the average VW owner can. Doing so can cause the engine to run hot. And over time a hot engine will fail. The fact that you do check it with a timing light tells me you don't trust yourself.

What's the sense of having a tool box full of tools if you don't use them. On the other hand I tell people that tools are an investment.

Banned for what? Giving bad advice? If so you would not be the only one.

As to carrying a timing light, I agree with you that there's no need. If for some odd reason you have to reset the timing on the side of the road, doing it by ear will get you off the road. But you better watch your temp gauges to see of it's too advanced.

HRVW wrote: I could say a few choice words but probably would be banned from Samba......I have more CLASS then that.
So which is it? Fear of being banned or having too much class?

This is theSamba, its best to have a thick skin.

Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:14 am

Oh... one more thing.

With the poor quality control of the available aftermarket distributors you MUST check the ignition advance at full advance. I've seen aftermarket distributors that should have 22* mechanical have anywhere from 14* to 44*. So just setting it to factory spec could yield too much or too little advance at full throttle.

Without a timing light you have know idea what's going on. You can always "hear" pinging.

Mon Mar 10, 2014 12:24 pm

When I made small movements with the distributor it was suprising how healthy and unhealthy the engine sounded, it was pretty easy to find it's sweet spot.

Not saying that is the way to go, but it's not a bad thing to have installed in my brain.

I learnt 2 things: I need a strobe to work on Svda dist and that timing can be done by ear..if without tools.

I used to time my older engine with a circuit light and it ran well, the strobe is much more fun though!