Old two cable timing light

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User]
edited November -1 in HUDSON
I purchased a couple of years ago at a local Hudson meet for a buck or two a timing light with its original box, but without intructions on how to use it. This is the two lead type that looks like a small flashlight. I took this to a recent Hudson meet and no one really knew how to hook up the clamps at the end of the two cables. Someone suggested putting the red clamp to the negative battery terminal and the black clamp to the number one spark plug. Problem with the spark plug is that these are clamps and not inductive attachments like modern timing lights. I don't really need this timing light for my Hudson as I have a fairly new one. Still, I would like to know how to use it and see if it works too! Thanks for any suggestions.



Hudsonly,



Dan

Comments

  • super-six
    super-six Expert Adviser
    The old neon timing lights that I used to have had a hook-up between the #1 plug wire and the #1 plug. Powered by the voltage from the coil, they were about useless unless you were in the dark. If you could see the strobe, it worked.
  • rambos_ride
    rambos_ride Senior Contributor
    I used to have one of these style..If I remember correctly - Black goes to ground, then there was usually an adapter that plugged onto the end of the sparkplug and then the sparkplug wire onto the other end of the adapter. Then you would clip the red to the adapter.
    OldTimer.jpg
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    1049superg wrote:
    I purchased a couple of years ago at a local Hudson meet for a buck or two a timing light with its original box, but without intructions on how to use it. This is the two lead type that looks like a small flashlight. I took this to a recent Hudson meet and no one really knew how to hook up the clamps at the end of the two cables. Someone suggested putting the red clamp to the negative battery terminal and the black clamp to the number one spark plug. Problem with the spark plug is that these are clamps and not inductive attachments like modern timing lights. I don't really need this timing light for my Hudson as I have a fairly new one. Still, I would like to know how to use it and see if it works too! Thanks for any suggestions.



    Hudsonly,



    Dan
    All those old timing lights were hook as super-six said. Walt.
  • MikeWA
    MikeWA Senior Contributor
    You had to have the high voltage from the coil to make the light work- wouldn't flash on 6 or 12 volts from the battery. The light I had had leads like a spark plug wire on one, spark plug on the other. You had to time in total darkness, as super six pointed out.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I'll attempt "Super Sixes" suggestions this Friday and see if I have any luck. Thanks for all the help and in particular the wiring diagrams.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I had one of the above 2 wire timing lights in the '50s. It was all I could afford. Now the home mechanic can have all kinds of shop eguipment -floor jacks, torque wrenches, dial indicators, mikes, etc. - that only professional shops had in the old days- thanks to China and HF. ;) Norm
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    super-six wrote:
    The old neon timing lights that I used to have had a hook-up between the #1 plug wire and the #1 plug. Powered by the voltage from the coil, they were about useless unless you were in the dark. If you could see the strobe, it worked.



    Still have my timing light and dwell/tach/voltmeter. Can't remember how many weeks pay I had to save to get them!



    We used to joke that it took 3 people to set the timing on a car. One person to operate the timing light and 2 people to hold the canvas tarp over the engine bay so the guy with the light could see the strobe flash. :D



    Kevin C.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    I hooked up the old two cable timing light with one lead going to the ground on the battery and the other I simply attached to an exposed distributor socket with the engine running. In other words, I pulled a plug wire from the distributor. Anyway, it did indeed light up flashing. However, it was a weak strobe in comparison to my modern Sears Craftsman 12V timing light on a 6V system which gives a much better strobe light despite the voltage being reduced by half. Still, at least I know the old one works thanks to the advice given to me here. Thanks again everyone!
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