Diesel Pulse Adapter Info Thread

[vanbcguy]

I managed to snag one on eBay last night... (Snap-on brand). Stoked. Looking forward to trying it out.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk

[monkey magic]

rich, looks nearer 11 not 12 on that photo!...

Good one Rich anyways. Looking forward to seeing data from a few more people. Am already sold on the benefits of this system. Regardless of how near to 12* the 'sweet spot' is, looks like a great static timing tool, (I hate the dial indicator method). But think ill be making something using lift sensor and crank position sensor and an arduino instead of buying pulse adapter gizmo.

[rbremiller]

rich, looks nearer 11 not 12 on that photo!...

Good one Rich anyways. Looking forward to seeing data from a few more people. Am already sold on the benefits of this system. Regardless of how near to 12* the 'sweet spot' is, looks like a great static timing tool, (I hate the dial indicator method). But think ill be making something using lift sensor and crank position sensor and an arduino instead of buying pulse adapter gizmo.

It's really just the angle of the camera; timing light is in the other hand. When I say 12º, it was most certainly that. The vid shows it better actually. I'm not filming it again for any reason regardless. I have no reason to go this far with work then BS people about results. I expect naysayers due to where this thread has been; but I continue on in the service of knowledge.

[rbremiller]

I don't want to get ahead of myself but when I'm through checking mine I'd like to lend this to other interested parties who are on a similar quest.

I've made arrangements to lend this to one of the members to check their timing. They'll have it for a few weeks. PM me if interested next.
Rich

[theman53]

Great find and follow up. It is really nice when there is repeatable results with 2 different timing pulse adapters and lights. Glad you had so much timing by ear and gauge beforehand to follow this up with. Great news. I would love to get my hands on one of these for a day

[fatmobile]

 Mine is 1/4" too. It worked well at first but eventually needed the high spots filed down so it would close tighter for the 6mm lines.
  On Rabbits isn't the square block of metal near the timing mark 12?
 The '84 Rabbit has numbered timing marks on the flywheel. Someone got a pic with a tape measure?
 
 All this talk of static timing is nice but I think most of our problems start in the dynamic range.
After all, how much time do we spend idleing?
 The thinner fuel messes with the pressure regulator's curve.
Using the pulse adapter to find the best timing for 2500RPM would be nice.
 Maybe someone will find a way to use one of these pulse detectors and a TDC sensor, to plot the timing curve on a graph in excel,..  maybe

  Anyone who thinks Andrew tried 12 and stopped there, never trying another setting; doesn't understand the basics of how his mind works.
 Some of us use a dial gauge to set the pump within range or to a number we are told to and never check to see if it would run better somewhere else, (then brag about how profesionals use this method, while slamming hillbilly tuning as primative,... sorry I digress).
 I can't imagine Andrew doing that with a dial gauge, or a pulse detector. Not sure how anyone can.

[745 turbogreasel]

You don't need anything  fancy  to plot the timing curve.
run at 1000 RPM, advance knob till o shows at the pointer, write your advance number down
" @1500
" @2000
" @2500

[ORCoaster]

  On Rabbits isn't the square block of metal near the timing mark 12?
 

Yeah that is what I thought.  Anyone care to confirm?  Could mark it and use a regular timing light then could we not?

In process of picking up both the adjustable light and the adapter so we should have a couple of these pieces of equipment around.  Time to update the loaner tool page.

[fatmobile]

 My mechanic says the timing advance on the light isn't very accurate so I've been using marks.
 I know contrair to what others are saying but he's an old fart and his opinion is usually based on trial and error.
 
 745 I know graphing the timing curve in excel and having it so it prints out it's a high tech solution to a low tech problem.
 That's common these days, ha.
 I've been thinking about it for years and working on it for almost a year and it's probably really close.
 The code needs a little adjusting, one more parts order and some testing should do it.
 I got it to somewhat graph the timing curve on (Pa)Tina once and my curve looked bad.
 Hard to find a place to tap into the ferret 765 without effecting the circuit. I might have to build my own pulse detector circuit.

[ORCoaster]

I would think accuracy of the light has more to do with the brand and the age of the equipment.  I bet you could verify the accuracy pretty quickly by running it in comparison with a light that doesn't have the fancy adjustment.  Shoot a gasser engine with the degree scale with the low tech light and read the number.  Then connect the hight tech and zero out the light on the scale by moving the knob.  Read the dial and see what you get between the two.

Or am I messed up on this?

[vanbcguy]

Well my snap - on adapter showed up but the injection line clamp isn't there. The seller decided to refund be $25 for that, but the price from snap - on for just the clamp is $395.00 which ain't happening. Grrr.... So I've got half of a pulse adapter!

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk

[ORCoaster]

VanBcGuy,  Is this the MT 257 model?  I have use of rbremillers MAC for a bit and I just picked up on an older Snap-On MT254 Lumy adapter.  My trouble is the special tube that goes into the glowplug spot is meant for the Izuzu Pup engine.  They have really long GP's and so trying this adapter in the glow plug hole in a head that is off the engine I saw it was about 3/4 of an inch too long.  So I was all over town looking for a fitting that would go into the head and allow me to insert the adapter into it instead and take up that 3/4 of an inch.  No one sells metric threads in this town.  Very few at one place that allow folks to use standard 1/8 inch American brass on Honda or VW or Toyo. engines for an oil gauge setup but that is it.

Going to look at Grangier tonight in hopes they have one.  I will be near one of their places tomorrow and can pick it up when out of town. 

The Tiny tach 6 mm pick up works on the MAC so that might be your only means of getting the unit functional.  The seller did give you some of the price back so it won't cost all that much more to make it work.  What good is it if it won't work?

[vanbcguy]

VanBcGuy,  Is this the MT 257 model?  I have use of rbremillers MAC for a bit and I just picked up on an older Snap-On MT254 Lumy adapter.  My trouble is the special tube that goes into the glowplug spot is meant for the Izuzu Pup engine.  They have really long GP's and so trying this adapter in the glow plug hole in a head that is off the engine I saw it was about 3/4 of an inch too long.  So I was all over town looking for a fitting that would go into the head and allow me to insert the adapter into it instead and take up that 3/4 of an inch.  No one sells metric threads in this town.  Very few at one place that allow folks to use standard 1/8 inch American brass on Honda or VW or Toyo. engines for an oil gauge setup but that is it.

Going to look at Grangier tonight in hopes they have one.  I will be near one of their places tomorrow and can pick it up when out of town. 

The Tiny tach 6 mm pick up works on the MAC so that might be your only means of getting the unit functional.  The seller did give you some of the price back so it won't cost all that much more to make it work.  What good is it if it won't work?

Yep, it's the MT 257.  Good tip on the Tiny Tach transducer - $58 is a whole lot better than $395.  The MAC adapter is apparently identical to the Snap-On one internally from what I've heard so it should work.  With the partial refund I got that makes it much more appealing.  Order submitted!

Sorting out the adapter for the luminosity probe sounds like "fun"... Those glow plug holes are pretty small and recessed pretty deeply.

[ORCoaster]

If the internals are the same then I know the transducer will work.  I have a Tiny Tach and I installed the lead from Richs MAC to it and got the red LED to blink in time like the one he provided.  The TT actually worked better because of the smaller 6 mm diameter.  His 1/4 inch reduced down by file was still a little touchy. 

So, good you will have what you need.  I didn't find my reducer so I think reducing the total length of the Lumy adapter is in order.  Only one more thing to check and that is threads on the adapter.  Will they work in the VW holes.  I almost forgot that they might be slightly different than the Izuzu pup engines.

Later DAS

[vanbcguy]

I read through the manual of my adapter today - it specifically mentioned luminosity adapters too in terms of relative differences in timing. It said that the pulse adapter will read about 8-10 degrees more advance than a luminosity adapter, just as a data point for consideration.

That would put the ideal advance as measured by the luminosity probe at about 2-4 degrees versus about 12 on the pulse adapter.

Sent from my HTC One XL using Tapatalk