I've had my fair share of timing lights in the last 7 years(since buying my MG in 2015 and then learning what a timing light was a few months later).
My first was a standard HF one(not dial-back) that lasted a few months. I then splurged and bought an HF dial-back that worked until I inadvertently connected it backwards and it was no more.
Finally I bought just a simple dial-back light at NAPA with a physical dial on the back. It was great, worked perfectly, and wasn't super expensive($75 or so IIRC). It worked great up until my toolbox was stolen after I stupidly left it in my car port one night...but that's a different story and one I'm still slowly recovering from almost 4 years later.
Since then I've had a few others. I tried to buy the same one at NAPA, but they no longer had(or so they told me) the dial-back version so ended up with a standard. I bought a nice Penske branded tach-dwell-other function multimeter from someone here, and they included a gorgeous old one made of solid metal that looks like it could be off an arcade game. That one will probably last forever, but isn't a dial back. I bought one of the fancy digital tach-dial back ones from O'reilly's for $100 or so, and the dial back function quit working after about a week(nothing changes when I change the setting). The manufacturer was no help, and I just gave up and installed a timing tape.
A few years later, somewhere in there the tape flew off, the source I got it from no longer makes it, and I can't easily replace it as the B-series balancer is an oddball size(don't remember off the top of my head) that doesn't match any of the common off-the-shelf ones on Amazon or at the local parts stores meant for American engines.
The engine's built in timing scale is a pain as it is difficult to read(it's a series of metal pointers at 5º intervals) and only goes out to 20º. Plus, it's on the bottom of the engine so requires climbing under to look, the adjust and repeat. In the past I've done it with just a paint dot topside and a corresponding dot on the timing cover to mark TDC and used a dial back. As I prefer to set the timing based on full advance, the factory scale doesn't really work either.
So, once again I'd like to just get a simple dial back light. I don't need fancy-I have a couple of tachs that I can use if need be(and for fine tuning adjustments prefer the responsiveness of an analog one) and really just would like a physical dial on the back. I'm not averse to buying used quality(especially older), but just want something that I can buy and not worry about as long as I don't physically abuse it. John Twist, the MG master mechanic in the US, uses a Snap-on light that he bought in the 70s, and I'd certainly trust that but when I see them they seem to still bring big bucks.
So, I'd welcome suggestions.
My first was a standard HF one(not dial-back) that lasted a few months. I then splurged and bought an HF dial-back that worked until I inadvertently connected it backwards and it was no more.
Finally I bought just a simple dial-back light at NAPA with a physical dial on the back. It was great, worked perfectly, and wasn't super expensive($75 or so IIRC). It worked great up until my toolbox was stolen after I stupidly left it in my car port one night...but that's a different story and one I'm still slowly recovering from almost 4 years later.
Since then I've had a few others. I tried to buy the same one at NAPA, but they no longer had(or so they told me) the dial-back version so ended up with a standard. I bought a nice Penske branded tach-dwell-other function multimeter from someone here, and they included a gorgeous old one made of solid metal that looks like it could be off an arcade game. That one will probably last forever, but isn't a dial back. I bought one of the fancy digital tach-dial back ones from O'reilly's for $100 or so, and the dial back function quit working after about a week(nothing changes when I change the setting). The manufacturer was no help, and I just gave up and installed a timing tape.
A few years later, somewhere in there the tape flew off, the source I got it from no longer makes it, and I can't easily replace it as the B-series balancer is an oddball size(don't remember off the top of my head) that doesn't match any of the common off-the-shelf ones on Amazon or at the local parts stores meant for American engines.
The engine's built in timing scale is a pain as it is difficult to read(it's a series of metal pointers at 5º intervals) and only goes out to 20º. Plus, it's on the bottom of the engine so requires climbing under to look, the adjust and repeat. In the past I've done it with just a paint dot topside and a corresponding dot on the timing cover to mark TDC and used a dial back. As I prefer to set the timing based on full advance, the factory scale doesn't really work either.
So, once again I'd like to just get a simple dial back light. I don't need fancy-I have a couple of tachs that I can use if need be(and for fine tuning adjustments prefer the responsiveness of an analog one) and really just would like a physical dial on the back. I'm not averse to buying used quality(especially older), but just want something that I can buy and not worry about as long as I don't physically abuse it. John Twist, the MG master mechanic in the US, uses a Snap-on light that he bought in the 70s, and I'd certainly trust that but when I see them they seem to still bring big bucks.
So, I'd welcome suggestions.
