Dwell, tach meter help please
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,980
Likes: 2,735
From: Virginia
Yes you guys are correct, I only need the tach for this truck.
I wanted the dwell because I have two friends with dune buggies and I have had to set them both up (I can't tell you the number of VW's I've owned ... bugs, buggies, Thing, early 911 Porsche, 411, ....). All of these have points. Just seems I have to do one or two a year.
I just figured if I were spending the money on a tach then I may as well get a dwell meter also.
I have a good multi meter for ohms and volts. It's too bad it does not have an inductive pick-up. It has a frequency function ... would work as a tach if it could sense when #1 fires.
Anyway, just figured since mine died, I should replace it.
My original question was just how can one of these Sears meters "automatically" figure out if I have a 4, 6 or 8 cylinder? My best guess looking at the instructions online was that it picks up #1 using the inductive pick-up and the # of pulses per two revolutions off the coil with another connection ... and some how works it out. Could this be correct?
Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike
I wanted the dwell because I have two friends with dune buggies and I have had to set them both up (I can't tell you the number of VW's I've owned ... bugs, buggies, Thing, early 911 Porsche, 411, ....). All of these have points. Just seems I have to do one or two a year.
I just figured if I were spending the money on a tach then I may as well get a dwell meter also.
I have a good multi meter for ohms and volts. It's too bad it does not have an inductive pick-up. It has a frequency function ... would work as a tach if it could sense when #1 fires.
Anyway, just figured since mine died, I should replace it.
My original question was just how can one of these Sears meters "automatically" figure out if I have a 4, 6 or 8 cylinder? My best guess looking at the instructions online was that it picks up #1 using the inductive pick-up and the # of pulses per two revolutions off the coil with another connection ... and some how works it out. Could this be correct?
Thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 5,831
Likes: 121
From: St Albert, Alberta
My 30+ year old dwell/tach meter died .... I need a replacement.
Found lots of units on ebay ... $10 to $120
Found two Sears units that looked interesting as they had an inductive pickup.
Problem .... they say 4,6 or 8 cylinder but no switch!
My best guess is that these units somehow "count" the coil pulses and the #1 pulse and figure out 4, 6 or 8 .... but is this correct???????
I didn't think a dumb meter (20 years old) would do this.
I just want to make sure even if only spending $25 -$50 (usually $15 shipping) it will work on my 6 cylinder.
Is there any other unit anyone would recommend?
... also need a recommendation on a timing light, mine only works some of the time .....
I have a GM HEI style ignition on my 300 Ford ( tach connection on cap ).
Below is a link to a manual for one of the units I found on line.
Thanks so much ...... Mike
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/49...61-210400.html
Found lots of units on ebay ... $10 to $120
Found two Sears units that looked interesting as they had an inductive pickup.
Problem .... they say 4,6 or 8 cylinder but no switch!
My best guess is that these units somehow "count" the coil pulses and the #1 pulse and figure out 4, 6 or 8 .... but is this correct???????
I didn't think a dumb meter (20 years old) would do this.
I just want to make sure even if only spending $25 -$50 (usually $15 shipping) it will work on my 6 cylinder.
Is there any other unit anyone would recommend?
... also need a recommendation on a timing light, mine only works some of the time .....
I have a GM HEI style ignition on my 300 Ford ( tach connection on cap ).
Below is a link to a manual for one of the units I found on line.
Thanks so much ...... Mike
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/49...61-210400.html
I have an Innova 5568 It does Tachometer: 249 to 9,990 RPM
Advance Degrees (2 and 4 cycle): 0° to 90° all you need is the TDC mark on the damper for setting the timing with this function. Dwell: 0° to 180° / 2-12 cylinders. Works on vehicles with DIS and has a built in voltmeter function. Plus it comes with a nice strorage case.
This unit puts the dwell meter timing light and voltmeter all in one unit. This is the third Innova timing light I have had over the last 20 or so years (used to be called Equus) the first one fell victim to a rad fan. I still have my 3568 Timing light but needed the 2 cycle function of the 5568 plus I shredded the lead for the 3358 working on a Ferret. My old 3568 has the dwell function the new 3568's don't. I still use the 3568 when I'm in tight places and run the risk of whacking it off a rad fan.
Ya the 5568 is not the cheapest solution but it will be a life time purchase. The inductive pick up is steel with a laminated iron core and not ferrite that will fracture the first time it is accidentally dropped on the floor. Plus Innova's customer support is excellent, if you ever do need repair or parts.
Dwell can still be checked in electronic ignitions. Some system such as GM's HEI adjust the Dwell according to Engine RPM at idle dwell in an HEI will be around 10 to 15 degrees by 2500-3000 RPM it will be around 30-35 degrees. This changes the charge time for the coil either decreasing increasing or the spark intensity. So yes the dwell function for electronic ignition systems is still needed to test that the systems dwell is working properly.
I bet no one here has ever bothered to check to see if their electronic ignition module is advancing or retarding the dwell as it should be . This should be part of your regular tune up regime.
The Innova 5568 on Ebay.
Equus Innova Pro Digital Electric Timing Light (DIS) 5568 | eBay
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