Dial Back Timing Light

Hooked up my new digital dial back timing light up to the TF, which is positive ground and blew out the circuit! Hooked positive clip to the positive terminal and the timing light went dead. It was supposed to hook up as the old one did, but I messed up somewhere. $$$!

Does it have a polarity switch?? Assuming it is a solid state type device it's probably polarity sensitive and is either only negative ground use or has a switch.

No it doesn't Mike, but after doing a lot of research on the subject this morning, and talking with the racing crowd, they don't recommend the dial back light, in fact they say their not what their cropped up to be, they won't use them saying they have had engines ruined by them giving wrong information! They recommend using the self powered single wire light. Of course were not using them on high performance race engines, but the race crowd claims they are the most accurate with less deviation. So, I'm going to ask Santa if he has any left over!

I'm going to be going up to Wyandotte next week. If you want I can loan you my timing light on the way.

I can't imagine why a timing light would care which battery terminal is connected to the car's body; as long as the power leads are connected correctly, how would it even know?

Does the light have a metal housing? Or make any other electrical connections?

It's a digital timing light and according to the information I've received they are very polarity sensitive. The timing is pretty close, I was just trying to get this light set up for the TF. I was told to hook it up to a seperate battery, not connected to the car and it should work. I'll try that later, right now the car is put to bead for the winter. I have a couple winter projects on it, such as installing a new auxiliary fuel pump and a few minor adjustments.

waltesefalcon said:

I'm going to be going up to Wyandotte next week. If you want I can loan you my timing light on the way.

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Much appreciated Walter, but fine tuning the timing will be a Spring thing when the temps are a little warmer.

Never gave it a thought until just now Walter, you will probably be coming up 44 to Kansas and were 60 miles East of 44 and Tulsa.

I won't use one. Shops that I ran, too many guys bumped the dial and set timing way off. If you're looking for total advance, doesn't work that way. Maybe when the engine was new, and octane was what it was back then, but wear, octane, cabs....you dial adjustments for factory maximum advance, it generally pings like a Church Bell.

For me, I use a regular old inductive light, vacuum pump to make sure the advance works, make sure the timing kicks with and without advance (checks centrifugal advance). One Fords with advance (at least early 60's through whenever), road test for ping, allen wrench inside the hose port of the advance to set back max advance.

Still have an old in-line light....turn the lights off to see it.

Wait until you need to check timing on a 6 volt vehicle with a 12 volt inductive light.

Hook the power to a 12V car next to you (done that many times)

Paul, that's why I offered; it wouldn't be a big deal at all to take 412 right past you and head north again at Kansas. I completely understand waiting until the spring to fine tune it.