![]() ![]() ![]() The simplest timing lights are self-powered. Timing lights can be described in a number of ways, so let’s go over that with a short description of each. All guns today use an inductive pickup that surrounds the plug wire and picks up the electro-magnetic energy that surrounds the plug as the voltage passes through the plug wire. Your grandfather might have one of those lying around his shop. In the old days, all timing lights used a small spring that fit between the spark plug and the plug wire that was connected by a clamp to send a high-voltage trigger to the light. That stroboscopic flash is intended to ‘freeze’ the location of the timing mark on the harmonic balancer relative to a timing tab usually attached to the engine’s front timing chain cover. A simple timing light is really nothing more than a stroboscope designed to flash when triggered by the spark from the engine’s Number one cylinder. We’ll start with the basic light and then move on to the more sophisticated dial-back versions and how they function. Over the course of decades of technical writing, we’ve discovered that not everybody understands how a timing light functions and the insights it can offer on the state of tune of your engine. But for the remainder of the performance world that does rely on distributors, a timing light is an essential tuning device. They all serve the same purpose but offer different RPM ranges, ability to operate a multi-spark system and offer features such as timing manual advance, a dwell meter, and the possible option to work on four-cylinder, six-cylinder, or eight-cylinder engines.It’s a sign of the times when late model engines with distributorless ignition systems (DIS) no longer require the services of the ubiquitous timing light. What brand manufacturers offer automotive timing lights?Īutomotive timing lights come in three styles: inductive, digital, and self-powered. Not every timing light is compatible with MSD systems, so be sure to check that the one you want can meet these requirements before purchasing. To properly measure this sequence, the timing light must be able to show the beginning of the sequence. Typically, the distributor only provides a single spark for an ignition sequence, but in MSD systems, there are a series of them disbursed at a specific timing. How do timing lights help multiple spark distribution systems (MSD)? ![]()
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