Timing light problem (was Re: [AT] Antique tractor tool advice needed

[Mike Sloane]

I am going to make a SWAG (scientific wild ass guess) that there are 
capacitors that may have dried out over time or there is a loose 
connection and/or cold solder joint on the circuit board (if there is 
one). Have you tried the light on another car/truck/tractor to see if 
has the same problem? It could be that the Oliver just isn't coming up 
with enough juice. Can you borrow another light to see if it does any 
better on the Oliver?

Also, on some of my old lights, there is an arrow pointing towards the 
spark plug, indicating how the pickup should be aligned on the high 
tension wires. You could have been attaching is "backwards".

Grant Brians wrote:
> All, I have a very on-topic need that I want to ask about. I have a timing
> light I bought about 30 years ago for use on gas engines on my cars, trucks
> and tractors (all over 40 years old now!) It has given me excellent service,
> but I did not use it for four or five years and then I went to use it again
> recently. I discovered that it does not any longer consistently light it
> should.
>     The timing light is a high quality inductive pickup type light and I
> have cleaned the magnet, checked the springs to assure that the pickup is
> fully around the spark plug wire and verified that all of the wire
> connections appear to be fine. I have not opened up the sealed wires to
> verify that with a meter, but I see no evidence to believe that is
> necessary. When I thought about this, it seemed that there might be a
> possibility that the problem is that the magnet has lost its magnetization.
> Does this seem like the best possible analysis to the list? And if so, how
> best can I remagnetize this pickup without damaging the light itself.
>     I should mention that the light itself (a neon bulb) lights just as
> brightly when it does light as ever, and that there does not seem to be any
> pattern to the lack of lighting that I can determine.
>     Thanks in advance to all who offer thoughts on this challenge.
>         Grant Brians
>         Hollister California
> p.s. I have an Oliver that could really use this to be working so I can tune
> it.....
> 


-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
mikesloane at verizon.net
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are 
in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of 
life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life - the sick, 
the needy and the handicapped. -Hubert Horatio Humphrey, US Vice 
President (1911-1978)


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