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Author Topic: What Timing Light Do You Like???  (Read 2321 times)

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Offline Johnie

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What Timing Light Do You Like???
« on: August 10, 2009, 06:46:24 PM »
OK, so I was just going to adjust the timing on this K4 and could see it was off...then my timing light started to smoke and it died.  Could not see any wiring problems, but this Sears Penske light is from 1975 so I think it is time to get a new one.  What do you guys like.  I have always done my timing with a strobe light.  I like the + & - battery connections with the plug wire clip on.  Recommendations please...thanks.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 06:48:10 PM by Johnie »
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Offline IndyFour

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2009, 07:03:50 PM »
I got mine at Harbor Freight for $15-ish dollars.  Works great.  As with about everything else at H.F., it's not for everyday use...like if you're a mechanic, but this is something I won't use but every so often....so if it breaks after a few years, oh well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3343
« Last Edit: August 10, 2009, 07:05:49 PM by IndyFour »
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Offline fmctm1sw

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2009, 07:21:21 PM »
Yep, cheapie ($10) at the flea market.  Works great...
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Quote from: 754
Dude is that a tire ? or an O-ring..??

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This is not a pod thread
This is not a #$%* on my vacuum gauges thread
This is a help or GTFO thread.

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Offline Johnny5

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2009, 07:43:39 PM »
I think mine was about $25 from Autozone. I've used it a ton and works fine.
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Offline fmctm1sw

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2009, 07:53:46 PM »
I did learn to turn the bike off before swapping the inductive pick up from 2/3 to 1/4...  ouch...   ::)
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Quote from: 754
Dude is that a tire ? or an O-ring..??

Quote from: inkscars
This is not a pod thread
This is not a #$%* on my vacuum gauges thread
This is a help or GTFO thread.

1973 CB350F
1973 CB350G
1975 CB550K
1983 GL650I
1973 CB750K3 (http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=92888.0)
1984 Kawasaki KLT-250 (AKA 3 wheeler of death)
1994 Honda TRX300
1999 Honda TRX250

Offline johnyvilla

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2009, 08:11:33 PM »
I have a Harbor Freight as well, and it works fine;  but the wires are so tiny, one brush with your headers and you have exposed copper. I would pay the extra 10$ for a nice timer.
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Offline punch455

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2009, 08:33:45 PM »
Yeah, very few people use a timing light every day.  But Sun makes a VERY good timing light that you can use quite regularly and expect accurate results for a very long time.  It's well made, and heavy duty so it can take a little abuse.  Plus they usually cost around $25 bucks, which is pretty reasonable. 
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Offline Johnie

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2009, 08:37:03 PM »
Quote from: punch455 on August 10, 2009, 08:33:45 PM
Yeah, very few people use a timing light every day.  But Sun makes a VERY good timing light that you can use quite regularly and expect accurate results for a very long time.  It's well made, and heavy duty so it can take a little abuse.  Plus they usually cost around $25 bucks, which is pretty reasonable. 
Sun???  They are still around?  Heck, I used a Sun scope back in the early 70's.  I will check these out.
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1970 CB750K0 - Candy Ruby Red
1973 CB750K3 - Candy Bacchus Olive or Sunflake Orange
1970 Chevy Chevelle SS396 - Cortez Silver
1976 GL1000 Sulphur Yellow

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Offline MoTo-BunnY

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2009, 09:27:24 PM »
Personally, I found the Harbor Freight units to be total junk. I went through two in a week before returning the second unit and just getting a refund. It was the $15 model (dunno if they have a better one). Both of them rattled with stuff inside them right out of the box and the light would only flicker sporadically. Maybe it was just a bad batch or something?

I finally bought an old SunTune unit (Model CP-7503) from the '70s or '80s, still in the original box, off of feeBay for like $8 or something and it's pretty slick, works great. I like it when they looks like a 1950s alien Raygun     ;)
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Offline lordmoonpie

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2009, 04:51:31 AM »
Yep +1 to that Sun are excellent units. Avoid the really modern ones with adjustable or built in advance curves - they're meant for cars and just don't work properly on bikes. Get a starightforward on or off strobe and you  should be fine.

Got my Sun professional strobe off flea-bay for $25  ;D
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Offline GoatBaSS

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Re: What Timing Light Do You Like???
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2009, 05:33:27 AM »
I have a new Craftsman. Good stuff. 75- 2009 is a good 34 years. Did they even expect them to last that long then?
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