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I have seen discussion here about the need for a civilian wire and plug for the #1 cyl to do a tune up with.
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to make one, what plug/wire is required and how to set it all up.
Or...does anyone have one already made up that they don't need anymore? If it's complicated, maybe a picture would help too. "lectric stuff ain't my real forte' ".
Thanks in advance, I'll probably try to fire the engine next week. Makin' progress....
All you really need to do is get an old civilian spark plug wire and cut off the ends. Strip the insulation off both ends back a half inch or so. Then, unscrew the military wire from either the plug or cap end. Fold the core of the civy wire back and stick it in the gap. Hook your timing light to the civy wire and your power leads to a 12V source and time away.
Or, you could by the military adaptor set for around $50 on E-bay. I can't get e-bay at work and I now can't post pictures from work either, so no links and no pictures of my adaptor set. Sorry.
If you feel up to there is a writeup in the manuals section. Barrman's solution sounds easier.
http://www.m715zone.com/vb/view.php?pg=mil_wire_convert
Thanks Barrman, that does sound pretty simple. So basically I just sorta' splice in (temporarily) a length of civvy wire so the timing light can get a reading?
I looked at the writeup Warthog, that looks kinda complicated, doable but tedious. Thanks for posting it, I think I get the concept.
Here is the military adaptor set. Alternator, generator, regulator, tach and timing light adaptors:
[IMG]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4373/pb160033.jpg[/IMG]
This is the proper spark plug wire timing light adaptor:
[IMG]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5309/pb160034.jpg[/IMG]
HOLY CATS!!!! I've tracked rotor systems with less equipment! Seriously.
Wow, that's a cool kit to have, bet you don't find one of those under every rock.
$45.00 on E-Bay a year ago. Memphis sells brand new kits for a little less than $100.00.
In the days of the ancients distributor timing was set by using a vacuum gage! Anyone out there old enough to remember how it was done??
I'd like to hear the answer for that. That's a new one on me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tarbush 8
Plug a vacuum gauge into a non ported vacuum source. With the engine warmed up and the vacuum advance disconnected. Turn the distributor until you reach a peak vacuum. That is in theory the most efficient setting for your engine. Drive it and see if it pings. Check it with a light as well to see what numbers you are at.
Most people get pinging at the best vacuum setting. So the rule of thumb is to get best and the back off 1" hg.
Use the same process for setting the idle mixture screw.
The 230 is odd in that it doesn't have a ready to plug in vacuum source, has no vacuum advance on the stock distributor and with its low compression, rarely if ever pings. You will find that adjusting the valve lash will make a big performance difference with the 230 since they are almost never set correctly when you get the truck.
If only I could download what's in your head into mine (but just the mechanical information, the rest could scare me). :D
If I had all his tecnical info it would scare me....Barrman is incredibly knowledgeable and wise at the same time...
I got an old style light, and used it with an old plug wire. It was cheap, and it works. I dont think we need to have an advance timing light anyways, do we?
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d4...e/000_0318.jpg
To my simple German understanding it should not be to difficult to replace the military harness to a siutable one. OK. on the distributor side you need the bolt on type. But if there you can replace the ignition cable by a classical coper core cable and use a classical fitting spark plug 45° plug, it should work. The only poblem to my knowledge the the proper heat value of the spark plug. So far my information is someting like a 175 or a 225 value.
Wolf
I don't think he wants to replace the military wires and plugs. He just wants to set the timing. Him asking how to use a civilian timing light instead of how to change the wires to civilian was the tip off for me.