The baddest Tach Dwell meter to buy

[SGKent]

[Criswell]

I recently picked up an Equus 3340 multimeter. Has Tach, dwell, volts, amps yada yada yada. here it is if ya wanna take a peek
http://equus.com/Product/Detail/B72CCE1C-0F6B-49B4-B815-7B31014870DC

I picked it up on amazon for 62 bucks. It seems like a pretty nice all in one, but i havnt gotten to try out the dwell yet. (somebody specificly mentioned buying it for dwell for old VW's and not being able to get it to work, but I needed a multimeter anyways and decided Id risk it.

Their 5568 "pro" timing light has it built in too, and can be found for about 100 bucks
http://equus.com/Product/Detail/FAE5FA18-7D9D-4BFE-95EB-0C48F517AD25
I think Im getting the timing light next payday
_________________
Mike
78 Westy 2.0 Hydraulic Lifter

[aeromech]

Criswell,
I'm interested in that Equus 3340 but like you said it did have a bad review from one guy on the dwell function. Since that's what I primarily need it for I would like to know if he's right. Can you test yours for me and let me know the results?
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[thewalrus]

[Tom Powell]

[Criswell]

[VWDruid]

I use Actron CP7677 Automotive TroubleShooter - Digital Multimeter and Engine Analyzer

_________________
70 Westy, 2027cc "dual DRLA 40 m140 i55 wjdoc a165 p33 v30 "w100 straight cut 040 polished heads 1.25 rockers 1.5 A1sidewinder supertrapp muffler trans 091 coil SUM-850500 CDI universal svda Pertronix
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
It's not the straight cut gears It's the T.A.R.D.I.S. engine.
wanted Chameleon Circuit

[aeromech]

Update:

I now have a nice ignition analyzer. A buddy at work dug his old one out of his storage shed and gave it to me. He says it was pretty nice in it's time. It's a Peerless 465. The pictures below are taken from one that's for sale on eBay right now but mine is the same thing. It has the inductive connector and a pigtail plus another pair of alligator clips that measure resistance. The problem I have is that it didn't come with a manual and I'm not sure how everything hooks up. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[stever1000]

[stever1000]

If I don't have a timing light either, would this be a better bargain overall: http://www.amazon.com/Equus-5568-Pro-Timing-Light-...amp;sr=1-7

knowing nothing about these devices, which is better: Actron CP7677 or CP7676? It sounds like they do the same thing, but the 7676 is called a multimeter whereas the 7677 is called a multimeter/engine analyzer...

CP7677: http://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP7677-Automotive-Tro...amp;sr=8-1

CP7676: http://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP7676-Digital-Multim...amp;sr=1-4

[VWDruid]

CP7677 has a rpm and dwell, CP7676 doesn't.
both are portable and are multimeter that can be helpful in finding voltage stuff, out like how much volts are in your battery or if that black wire hanging under your dash is alive.

IMHO that timing light is over kill but I have a degree pulley and can set my timing with a basic timing light, I can see the advantages of that Light if you don't have any markings on your pulley, but I have never used one of them and just think you'll look funny under the dash with a timing light checking for hot wires.

FYI the larger ones work just as well, and may be cheaper I see them at garage sells some times.
_________________
70 Westy, 2027cc "dual DRLA 40 m140 i55 wjdoc a165 p33 v30 "w100 straight cut 040 polished heads 1.25 rockers 1.5 A1sidewinder supertrapp muffler trans 091 coil SUM-850500 CDI universal svda Pertronix
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
It's not the straight cut gears It's the T.A.R.D.I.S. engine.
wanted Chameleon Circuit

[aeromech]

Dude,
I'm going to tell you about what I've experienced and this is just me. I've been working on aircooled VW's since 1974 and have never needed a dwell meter. All I needed was a .016 feeler gauge and a timing light. Since I'm doing more and more of this I felt that I might as well get the dwell meter but as of now I haven't really used it. Sure it would be nice to have but if you're going to spend some money I suggest getting what's known as an "advance" timing light. With this thing you don't need a degreed pulley to check you timing at total advance. Last year I bought a very nice Snap-on advance timing light and it's the shit when it comes to timing these older VW's.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Alex6373]

I'm going to tell you about what I've experienced and this is just me. I've been working on aircooled VW's since 1974 and have never needed a dwell meter. All I needed was a .016 feeler gauge and a timing light.

X2 areomech

[Randy in Maine]

[Glenn]

Using a feeler gauge gets the points so the engine will start, you need a dwell meter to dial it in.

And honestly, most people don't use a dwell meter because you have to stop the engine, remove the cap and rotor to adjusted the points. Then reassemble, start the engine and see if you are close. Repeat as many times needed to get it correct.

With my distributor machine I can adjust them when the distributor turning. so it takes about 5 seconds.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[aeromech]

With my distributor machine I can adjust them when the distributor turning. so it takes about 5 seconds

Now you're talking
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Glenn]

It's like using a breaker bar when a torque wrench should be used.
_________________
Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[aeromech]

But you know what? I got by for over 25 years using that breaker bar so even though I might not have been doing it exactly right... it got me down the road. I never had a breakdown due to bad points that I can remember. Maybe my tuneups were more often than most but that's just me. I was religious with oil changes, valve adjustments, etc.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[Glenn]

[El_Güero]

I use this

http://aa.bosch.de/boaa-tr/Product.jsp?prod_id=156...lication=3
_________________
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