Old engine diagnostics cabinets with CRTs

[Owen Lucas]

Does anyone have experience working with these vintage units? They are before my time, but as an insurance adjuster, going into older body and mechanics shops, these would be in the corner collecting dust.

Besides timing, what else did they do? Check sensors? Do you have any experience with them?

I kind of want one, but more as an automobile decoration than to actually use.

 

[LazyDog]

I never work w/ one but the do check rpms, points gap and stuff like that. If you get a model number, you can always down load the manual.

 

[Timmastertech]

Depends on the tool. They were basically our first generations of oscilloscopes that also had ignition scope capability. Somehad the ability to use as a manual lab scope, some had guided tests for components. Some had gas analyzers built in. Later sun built analyzers like the Sun 450 and Sun 500 had a cool thing called Simu-tech which was a breakout box on steroids for OBD I and early OBD II vehicles. Hooked up inline between the engine harness and engine control module to make measurements. I kinda think that you could manipulate the input signals with it as well but dont quote me on that, only used it a few times.

 

[eljefino]

some light reading The ignition scope was the big deal in the 70s, you could tell how an engine was running by the waveform and could theoretically tell what was causing a misfire.

 

[Chris142]

They can tell you all kinds of things if you know how to read one. Like how many volts to bridge the plugs,can push a button and kill a cylinder or more.

It has a dwell meter and vacuum gauge in it too.

 

[Vern_in_IL]

Save the CRT, they don´t make them anymore and collectors will take them off your hands.

Should be very healthy unless the shop left it on all the time....

 

[chemman]

Many also had carbon piles used for load testing batteries; they could be set up to check the current draw for starters; they could also be set up for checking the output of alternators to see if there was a bad diode, etc. Very handy units provided one knew how to use them.

 

[ctrcbob]

I remember those “SUN” Machines. They were great. My buddy’s garage had one and it told him which cylinder was skipping on my car. Cost a lot of money.

Not worth anything anymore. Saw an episode of Pawn Stars. They would not buy it because today, only good when checking problems on older cars.

40 or 50 years ago, These SUN machines could tell you everything but your name.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

The best thing they do is bring $200-300 to someone wanting to buy a decoration.

 

[paulo57509]

I learned on an older model of this:

Graduated to one of these (below) when the one above could no longer be repaired (That's my father, circa 1991):

When that one could no longer be repaired, I used a Sun 1115.

My father used to find repair guys that worked out of their garage. These used scopes he purchased usually came from these guys. They're a dying breed.