I want to check the timing on my engine and I'm curious about how to connect my timing light. It's a forty year old Craftsman and made out of metal. Should I connect it the normal way? Red to the red Positive terminal and Black to the Negative terminal? It does have magnetic clamp that goes around the number one spark plug lead.

 

don't think so. you may be thinking about a battery charger?

but lately i've been wrong...a lot.

 

Yes, I have same craftsman unit ... Number one lead is plug closest to firewall
Rgds
David

 

It will work on number 6 at the front if the lead on the timing light won't reach #1.
If the car is positive ground, the arrow on the pick-up faces away from the plug.

The red lead goes to + and the black lead goes to -
That part doesn't change, so you are correct.

Using number 6 at the front works because it's a 4 cycle engine, it fires on the timing marks at 1 and 6, and you can time the ignition using either one.

I have a very old SUN timing light, and it works on positive ground cars, but my new Snap-On doesn't work very well, especially with all of the other functions, eg engine speed.
It's sporadic.

 

Before attempting to set the timing a tip I use is to paint the timing marks on the front pulley and pointer with white paint. Make sure you paint the lines then rub off any excess so it is just the lines that have paint in the grooves. You will find this greatly helps as the strobe will pick up the white line very clearly and make it easy to time.

 

Jeff ~ I'm pleased you have mentioned this as I also time off cylinder 6 (the front cylinder). There are very few timing lights that have a lead long enough to reach the rear Number 1 cylinder without modification when it is not necessary. Especially for those of us that use our old faithfuls, lens & all, that are aging. I have also retained positive earth.

 

Thanks for all the replies. I haven't tried to set the timing yet since I had to pull the Distributer this morning. A few days ago I wanted to see what kind of condition the cap and points where in. As you can see there was an enormous amount of carbon buildup in the cap and on the ends of the leads. Cleaned it all out and put it back together, started it to make sure all was right and called it a day. Tried to start it this morning and nothing! Would turn over but would not start. Checked for spark and it was intermittent. Pulled the cap and asked my wife to press the start button to see how the spark at the points was and saw that the rotor wasn't turning! I could turn it by hand which meant the distributor wasn't fully seated. After I got the distributer out I could see that someone previously had tightened the pinch plate around the top rubber seal, not the bottom of the distributer. They had tightened it so much there was no gap left on the plate. Cleaned everything thoroughly and put it back together. Started right up and since time was running short to get everything ready for guests just set the timing by ear.

I'm constantly amazed at the really poor maintenance this car has had. So lucky I wasn't out on the road and the distributer decided to unseat itself. Already ordered and new cap from Barret.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Yugh! what a mess. Get a new cap, rotor (without rivet but arm ultrasonically welded), copper leads, acorn nuts & split brass washers. If it's a 3.8 look out on Ebay for a Lucas 41063A Distributor. If the bottom metal ring is squashed it is only a matter of time before you have trouble again. The base of the distributor lower body is quite fragile. (That the clamp plate is supposed to nip up on ~ not be over-tightened)

 

I don't think that's carbon build up, looks more like aluminum oxide or even oxidized lead, never the less, as Glyn said, "what a mess" !
That split washer should be brass, it looks like aluminum, or lead !

 

It look as if it's passed many years stored in a humid environment, not the expected 'California car.'

No matter how you number the cylinders, 1 and 6 are always 360° apart so come to the same place with a timing light on the crankshaft damper. Even with a Japanese firing order (still 153624, but reversed), it's still true.

 

Correct termination of wires over split brass washer. Always replace cap & rotor together or gap becomes too wide & you bugger up the new cap with spark erosion. Or even worse ~ discharge to the distributor shaft.

 

To make a superior connection you may solder the end after splaying the wires. You can even file the solder puddle flat and if you heat the now flat puddle with a heat gun and quickly screw it in it will mushroom over the dist. cap peg. And to go to the full length source a waterproof cap cover. They are getting hard to find and a bit of a pain to install but once on the area is almost water/dirt/oil proof.

 

The only problem with soldering is you are creating another set of galvanic joints. Solder joints can be susceptible to atmospheric corrosion, i.e galvanic-assisted corrosion. They are not superior. No doubt why Jaguar did not suggest that. Especially if the car is near the coast. Why we High End Audio folks try and keep our amps hot if we live at the coast.

 

Like Glyn, I don't like the solder and it shouldn't be a great help on a HT line. However, the water proof cover is an absolutely excellent piece of advice. It had crossed my mind that the dizzie is in its present state because some PO had flushed the cooling system without covering it. It is nicely placed for any coolant from the top hose connections.

 

If one wanted to solder, it's a given to use solder with no lead in in it.
I would work some conductive grease into the bent over wire ends, and make sure there is just enough on there to keep the air out where it makes contact with the distributor button.
One would have to take a little care as to not get the grease everywhere.

 

Unlike low voltage DC, with high voltage electricity, the problem isn't so much one of minimising the resistance of the circuit that you want the current to follow as maximising the resistance of all the circuits that you don't want it to follow.

 

Luckily there was no damage to the base of the distributer. Thanks for the advice on the HT Leads. They are Champion brand leads and are quite old. Looks like another purchase from Barrat maybe forth coming or another supplier that anyone can recommend.

 

Jeff absolutely correct. When you solder it makes a nice little dome which when filed flat and re heated allows the pin in the dist. cap to form what I called a mushroom or cap over the pins. DE gel never hurts carefully applied. All of the major suppliers that provide made up kits (not make it yourself) solder the copper disc on. Perhaps they do it so the disc are not lost but a small bag would do that also.

 

My information is absolutely correct. Nevermind what anyone thinks. It cannot be denied because its an inconvenient fact. I know my way around electronics better than most. I'm used to high current equipment.

"The problem with soldering is you are creating another set of galvanic joints. Solder joints can be susceptible to atmospheric corrosion, i.e galvanic-assisted corrosion. They are not superior."

FACT.

Waterproof covers are extremely sensible & good advice.

 

You are missing the point. With the simple splayed wires there is a lot of "atmospheric" exposure. When done correctly and sealed --well it is sealed! The addition of DL eliminates any chance. Just curious are you "quoting" yourself or a source? Our quote is yours.