Ignition alalyzers (was Re: [AT] Coil test?

[Mike Sloane]

DAVIESW739 at aol.com wrote:
> Of course for a few buck you should be able to get an  old engine 
> analyzer with a scope and then learn how to use it and then you can  pin point 
> any electrical problem in your ignition system. 
I have one of those, an Atlas unit (made by Marquette?) that Bob Brooks 
found for me in the back room of a local service station. It is designed 
to test '60s era 6 and 8 cylinder cars (according to the manual), but it 
works just fine on 2 and 4 cyl tractors. The best part is that the 
screen and meters are nice and big (and bright) so you can see them from 
a distance, even with my "old eyes". The bad part is that it is huge and 
takes up a lot of space, but it has all kinds of cabinet space in back 
and along the sides, as well as a drawer in front. I also have a 
Heathkit (an eBay purchase) that is supposedly "portable", but I don't 
have the necessary 12 volt adapter. It works fine on 110 volts, but the 
meter and display are not large nor bright, making it my second choice - 
at least it will work outdoors with an extension cord, while the Atlas 
is confined to the barn. Either one, if you know how to read the scope, 
will quickly tell you the condition of each plug, points, condenser, and 
coil. I think the Heathkit will work on a magneto system too, according 
to the manual, but I only have one mag tractor, and I have never tried 
it. I don't know why either one wouldn't work - spark is spark. The only 
limitation of the scope is that the engine has to be running to have the 
instrument tell you anything. If you happen to have an old bench 
oscilloscope around that works, I have a very simply circuit diagram 
somewhere that you can use to test ignition systems. I use to use it 
with a old Heathkit dual trace 40 MHz scope, but it no longer works 
properly, and I can't find anyone locally who can fix it. (It seems that 
there are plenty of old tractor hobbyists, but very few interested in 
old electronics, at least not on the Internet.)

Mike
>  
> Come to think of that maybe I need one, Well, maybe not I have all mine on  
> mags. 
> 
> Walt Davies
> Cooper Hollow Farm
> Monmouth, OR 97361
> 503  623-0460 
>  

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

Today's public figures can no longer write their own speeches or books, 
and there is some evidence that they can't read them either. -Gore Vidal 
(1925- )


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