timing light for 6 volt positive ground

pseftoncomcastnet
pseftoncomcastnet Senior Contributor
edited August 2014 in HUDSON
Has anyone found a way to avoid having to have a spare 12 volt battery on hand to power a neon-type timing light? My light won't fire more than feebly on 6 volts. I/m assuming that it should be hooked up positive to the grounded positive terminal of my battery and negative to negative.



Peter Sefton

Comments

  • Jay_G
    Jay_G Expert Adviser

    I have a battery powered light that only has the spark plug lead.  I got it from Flaming River I believe.  It is not adjustable so all it does is flash when the plug fires.  But no other wires to hook up.

     

    Jay

  • hudsonsplasher1
    hudsonsplasher1 Senior Contributor
    Peter, 
     I have used a 12V battery charger to run my timing light.  Just hook up the clamps black to black and red to red. Should work fine.
    Gene.
  • pseftoncomcastnet
    pseftoncomcastnet Senior Contributor
    good tips. that charger idea is pretty creative!

    ps
  • dwardo99
    dwardo99 Expert Adviser
    I have also used the battery charger trick, but be careful to isolate the clamps so they don't touch. I fried my battery charger that I have had for 35 years by carelessly leaving the cables on the floor while I was timing my Hornet. My buddy said, "is it supposed to be making that noise"? No ....
  • hudsontech
    hudsontech Senior Contributor
    I have also used the battery charger trick, but be careful to isolate the clamps so they don't touch. I fried my battery charger that I have had for 35 years by carelessly leaving the cables on the floor while I was timing my Hornet. My buddy said, "is it supposed to be making that noise"? No ....
    Don't feel bad dwado99. I did the same thing - twice!!!!!  The first time I dropped the cables on the fender and the 2nd time I had them on the floor and kicked one into the other.  I'm just your average klutz!!!
    You are correct - either will fry the charger in a heartbead.

    Hudsonly,
    Alex Burr
    Memphis, TN
  • railknight
    railknight Expert Adviser
    I too have recently purchased and used a battery powered Flaming River timing light on my Hudson Super Wasp with good results.  However, my Sears Craftsman 12 volt light puts out a pretty good strobe flash hooked up to the 6 volt battery of my Super Wasp.  Of course this was performed in the late evening when the sun was already down.  And speaking of the sun, I have an old functional 6V Sun timing light from the fifties that I can turn to, but it's more of something of an old repair garage display piece.   
  • pseftoncomcastnet
    pseftoncomcastnet Senior Contributor
    thanks all! I ended up buying one of those D-Battery powered single wire units for about $45 on Amazon. It works spectacularly well. The flash is brilliant. Seeing the timing mark on the flywheel of a 262 is always a challenge, but with a chalk highlight, this light makes it quite easy.


    Peter S.
  • Jon B
    Jon B Administrator
    Oops!  I didn't notice this discussion until just now.  I was going to suggest buying a nice used 6-12 volt adjustable light such as several being advertised on ebay right now.  Here's one for $9,99: http://www.ebay.com/itm/L893-Snap-On-Tool-6-12-Volt-Timing-Light-MT-215-SNAP-ON-TOOLS-/201152513697?hash=item2ed59fc6a1&item=201152513697&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr

    Oh well, maybe someone who's reading this, has the same need and can try this approach!
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