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Wed Dec 04, 2024 1:55 pm

What is the best place to grab pos,neg, & ground besides the coil ?
I have a newer style timing gun & am currently setting my rpms.
Thanks

Wed Dec 04, 2024 2:56 pm

The battery.

Wed Dec 04, 2024 3:06 pm

Quote: best place to grab pos,neg, & ground

If it has an alternator, get pos. from the B+ stud and ground from the housing of the alternator too

Wed Dec 04, 2024 3:28 pm

runamoc wrote: Quote: best place to grab pos,neg, & ground

If it has an alternator, get pos. from the B+ stud and ground from the housing of the alternator too
^^^^^
THIS

Wed Dec 04, 2024 7:56 pm

If the car has a generator, Use a auxiliary battery to power the timing gun.

]'ve used a aux battery for years to time my generator equipped engines.

Thu Dec 05, 2024 9:32 am

I've gotten away on a generator car using either the gen output (but only at low rpm so the voltage is not too high), or even the coil wire (I know, a no-no), but I don't recommend either!

Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:30 am

KTPhil wrote: I've gotten away on a generator car using either the gen output (but only at low rpm so the voltage is not too high), or even the coil wire (I know, a no-no), but I don't recommend either!

I have a 009 distributor 8) can't set the timing at low RPMs.

Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:35 am

My suggestion for the 009 folks is to set it at high rpm as is proper practice, then lit it get cold and using a test light, manually rotate the engine and see where it comes on, then put a paint mark there on the pulley. You can then set it static and cold without any fancy tools.

Thu Dec 05, 2024 10:48 am

I get the light power off the generator/alternator in 12 volt cars. In case of my 6 volt Bug, My light is 12 volt, so I get 12 volts from a my near by 12 volt car or from my 12 volt jumper battery.

Always have a battery cover on your battery in your Bug. Seat spring can short the battery if they touch, and the result can be the seat catching fire, You may be fine, until a heavy object or person is set, or sits over the battery, then poof, you got a fire. Happened to someone I know when a bunch of kids piled into the rear seat. He had no battery cover. He was able to get out and toss the burning seat cushion out of the car in time to save the car. Seat wrecked.

Thu Dec 05, 2024 12:54 pm

67rustavenger wrote: If the car has a generator, Use a auxiliary battery to power the timing gun.

+100
I do this when using a 12 volt timing light on a 6 volt car.
I don't know about your experience, but I found out the painful way that you need to ground the timing light to the car! Mine is a 50 year old Sears light with a metal body, so this might not apply to other lights, but the current from the spark plug wire has to go somewhere, and in my case it was to me.

Thu Dec 05, 2024 3:32 pm

Same wrt using a 12V timing light for 6V car but doubly so when it comes to reading dwell. I could not get an accurate or stable dwell readout when using a fancy digital timing light (powered by a separate 12V battery) until I added an additional ground wire back to the vehicle; it was perfect after that.