Reviving a 1970's Timing Light - Sears 244.213801
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Join David as he revives a Sears 244.213801 engine timing light. The schematic is reverse engineered and the theory of operation is discussed.
Music (Pinnacle 19.5 royalty-free music):
Pulsing Dance
House Fever
City Night Groove
Thanks to Roger for sending providing the schematic and parts list for a very similar timing light. See the .pdf at:
github.com/Lif...
If you have one of these and want to see something different, put the spark pickup around one conductor of a speaker and crank up the volume. You might have to loop the speaker wire through the clamp a few times depending on how much power you have. Then attach a paper towel tube to the end of the timing light and aim it at a mirrored disco ball. The music will make patterns that move and flash with the music. It is really quite an effect given how little it takes to make it happen. Unfortunately it does not work well in multiples which is probably why no commercial light product ever used this effect.
I think you did a great job with the timing light, is I'm having trouble with my vintage 1970 Sears and roebuck timing light also. Thanks to people like you sharing your us other people can get our stuff fixed and working. Thanks David
I hope it works. Thanks for watching!
I have the exact same one i inherited from my dad. I grew up pulling it out as the helper while my dad tuned his 911 and various VW'S he'd drag home. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome. Nothing more satisfying than dialing in a stubborn VW and getting it to perform.
I had an old Craftsman timing light that wasn't working. Took it apart like the video shows, brushed it off and put back together. Works now!
So glad that helped!
Have this light. It flashes erratically. Don't know why. I opened it and no burns on the board and all wires connected. Not dirty inside. Any suggestions?
Hi David ,....You sure made that repair look easy !! .....No such luck for me & my 1970 "Sears Best" model 244.2115 Non--inductive (direct connected trigger lead to plug) Timing light, an earlier model of yours....Not used for 30+ yrs but need it Now on a hot '70 car project... Completely dead & no schematic....The simple circuit board has +12 wired to inverter transistor Emitter so probably it's a power PNP type & test ok...Trigger switch cleaned still No flash...Opening a few connections & the 5.5 uf Base coupling cap is open from age....Replaced & all ok now Flashing Good, just like old times Again !!.....Thx for a good video & keep 'em coming !!
Glad to hear it. Timing an engine is becoming a lost art. Thanks for watching!
Stumbled upon your channel via the recommendations video sidebar! Great content, I've hit that Subscribe button so I'll see more of your stuff in the future.
Awesome, thank you!
@@LifewithDavid1 Thank YOU for producing such lovely content!
David thanks for the interest and reply, I think you have slayd many Goliath's in that shop
I just got one of these things on ebay that looks like the type I liked to play around with in the 70's...I was fascinated in the ruby laser as a kid, and had to have one then. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!!! Later, I also remember building a Heathkit oscilloscope.
I'm almost certain that's one behind you...the sight triggered memories.
--dALe
That's great! Thanks for watching.
Great vid bro,my uncle in law gave me his sears craftsman 161.2134 timing light but it's not working,this video is very helpful thank you,hope I can get it fix 👊🏽
I do too. My fix was more luck than anything; I hope yours is just as easy.
Why was I recommended this? it only has 185 views, I'm not complaining.
I'm not sure; but I'm glad you stopped by! I hope you enjoyed it.
Thank you for a great video!
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
Hi David, your just the one I have been looking for. Please respond. Dave...
Thanks for watching!
I just bought one of these for a buck...Its mint, and too night to use regularly, so I'll keep using the Heathkit (yes, thats my primary lol).
Thanks for the schematic. Its nice to know that I can always refer back and replace any components that may fail in the future. Seems like my old cars, and old tools outlive the newer things, and more than likely me lol
Wow, that's a great find. You're right about old tools and cars. By the time we get to electric cars; they probably won't even outlast their loan period.
@@LifewithDavid1 Ive worked on electrics, and what most don't realize is that its one of the older methods. way back in the 1800s...Also, they have been using them in cities as trolleybuses, and while at least that is better, since no batteries to worry about, it still comes with massive costs, rebuilding the engine (re-wiring) every few years, and copper is not getting cheaper. But, for fixed route buses, they were great. As a car or truck? I think its more at play...
I had a great TIME watching this video. It was very ILLUMINATING!
"244" prefix Sears product was made by Peerless Instruments for Sears. This was eventually bought by Actron who made "161" prefix product for Sears (including analyzers and timing lights) in 1983. Actron is now part of Robert Bosch and doesn't support their earlier product. When Actron was still around in Cleveland, OH, it was staffed by old timers that knew their product and they would gladly send you a missing part or help you out with a schematic. I got many a schematic for an engine analyzer from Actron by just asking.
That's so awesome to know. Especially the Cleveland connection; I've spent the last 45 years of my life here! Thanks for the info!
@@LifewithDavid1 Sure. They were located at 15825 Industrial Parkway in Cleveland, OH. National Safety Apparel is located at that location now.
That's some really interesting history!
Both were good companies in their time.
@@googleusergp They made high quality stuff. You can tell from the construction of the timing light.
Great job i like how its informativ n its vibe
Glad you liked it
I have the exact same timing light and was wondering if the schematic is available for download. my light is not working. I've already checked the usual suspects (wires, switch, etc.) I have another light so I almost scraped it until I saw your video. Now I want to play with it some more and maybe it will work, I used to have that exact same Heath Kit VOM Meter but gave it to my brother a couple years ago after it shocked me a couple times. He thought he could find the problem and fix it. He's into ham radios and those type of meters work well for testing circuits and components in those radios and mlcs;
I uploaded my re-engineered schematic. (github.com/LifeWithDavid/Timing-Light/blob/4726a4ffb31d5ac0ca7241ed17db0179669aa212/Schematic%20none.png) I don't guarantee the accuracy; but I think it's OK. Good luck!
Thanks
You're welcome. Thanks for watching!
I have 1970s timing light that's designed to have the xenon tube replaced by just quarter turning a plastic holder of the tube and it comes right out. Problem is, no one seems to sell such a flash tube anymore. Sad, it's a solid metal timing light, very heavy duty. But useless without a good lamp.
It depends how much you want to get into the gory details. If you really like the light and are willing to try to fix it while realizing you could fail, try getting a bulb that has a similar physical size as the bulb that is currently in there. Bust into the bulb housing and replace the bulb itself by soldering or crimping as needed. I could be wrong, but I think Xenon bulbs with physically similar sizes will have similar electrical characteristics. For $5 or $10 it might be fun just to see if you can make it work. Thanks for watching!
David, thanks for your video. I know it's an older posting, but because of your instructions, I was able to check and clean my timing light. It wouldn't fire off and after close inspection, I found everything inside looking in order. I checked the female cable pin connectors on the gun handle and found two that were spread apart, which made for a poor connection.
I reassembled everything and tested it using my lawnmower (I don't own any vehicles with older ignition systems) and it fired off like old times.
Before watching your video, I would have junked it, so thanks for giving me the thought to open it and check on its internals.
Question: do zennon tubes go dim or do they just go out?
Congratulations! I'm glad it helped. I don't know for sure, but I think the tubes just go out. They have been used for decades for airplane strobes and tower lighting, and they rarely fail. I believe their brightness stays constant throughout their life. Thanks for watching!
Has anyone replaced the Flash Tube Found this exact same one? Got it at the swapmeet, didn't check it. Got home and found out the bulb was burnt. I've been looking for a replacement no luck. The closest I've gotten is this one. The darn thing is in very good condition, hate to take it back to the guy if it can't be fixed.
Thanks.
I haven't replaced it; but I'll bet if you get the same form factor that there is a pretty good chance it will work. Good luck!
I have a few timing lights that need the bulbs replaced There black and burnt can you suggest a Xenon bulb ?
I don't really have a suggestion; however all bulbs should act the same in theory. If I were doing it, I would go to eBay and find a bulb that was the same size and shape. Then I would hook up the 3 (or 4) connections; the 2 tube end pins, and the trigger connection on the outside. Good luck!
Other than dusting off the circuit board what other repair to the timing light did you do to make it work? I have a Craftsman 14065 and I suspect the xenon bulb needs replacement. I removed the screws to dissassemble but can't get the case to open. Any trick I need to know? Also where can I buy the correct xenon bulb, locally? Lowes or home dept? Please advise. Thank you.
The black ring around the lens for the light unscrews. That has to be removed before the light can come apart. I never seriously looked into replacing the Xenon bulb. There are several on eBay; I would get one that is the same size physically. Also see if has a 1 or 2 wire trigger circuit. Then just try it out. Sorry I don't have any better guidance than that. Good luck!
I bought a similar timing light new, I have the Sears owners manual which includes the schematic and parts list if you'd like a copy
Sorry it took so long for me to respond. Yes, I would like a copy of the manual, and I would post a link to it for others if you agree. My email is LifeWithDavidChannel@gmail.com. Thanks again for the offer!
I think we would all benefit from the schematic. Where can I find one?
@@timrolfes9761 The is a link above in the opening paragraph. You may need to click "Show More" to view it.
i have also a old timing light which is similar to yours but its not working anymore. i opened it up and i saw the transistor got damage . the transistor code is *813* 3521 what is the replacement of this transistor ?
I looked though some of my old transistor replacement guides and it MIGHT be an MPS2222A. I saw that there was a 3521 Sears number. But without seeing the transistor, or knowing where it is in the circuit; I'm shooting in the dark. Good luck!
@@LifewithDavid1 Thank you so much for your feedback Sir.
I know this is a late reply, but I replaced my bad 2N5496 transistor with a 2N6488 from Electronic Inventory Online.
Love the music ;)
My Timing Light I don't know the brand, didn't work after I changed the capacitors it flashed but only when you tap the 12 Volt plus cable against the positive terminal with the switch squeezed, I don't know what's wrong with it.
If it only flashed once when you tapped it against the 12 volts; perhaps the pickup is malfunctioning. If it flashes normally, then maybe either the cable has an intermittent open, or the high voltage oscillator components aren't allowing it to start by itself. Good luck!
Not the same light but very informing.
Thank you. I imagine the circuitry for Xenon strobe of that era are all pretty similar. Thanks for watching!
So what exactly was the problem? TY David
I believe dirt contamination. These early high voltage charge pumps could get screwed up if there was a little current leakage in just the wrong place. It's kinda unsatisfying not to find a bad part; replace it; and then claim success; but that's what it is. Thanks for watching!
David..Is there a way to make an actron 7250 read or only show half the pulses that are registering on the readout ?? i need to check wide open throttle rpm on an outboard..this timing light only reads to 9999...i have a lost spark ignition so its reading both pulses 2400 instead of 1200...thanks for any help..you were the only guy i cud find that seemed to know what he was talking about....
It sounds like you have a 2 cycle outboard; this has one spark per revolution instead of one spark per two revolutions. This would double your reading. I'm not familiar with the 7250; does it have a 2 cycle setting? This would halve the reading. Otherwise; I see there are inexpensive tachs for small engines for sale on Amazon; (from Timorn; around $13). That might work for you. Good luck!
@@LifewithDavid1 thanks david..yes 2 stroke 2 cyl...yamaha..they used a wasted spark ignition back then..1 on compression and 1 on the bottom of the stroke...so the instrument is reading both and doubling the count..at 6k rpm it puts the reading out of instruments range...any tricks to filter 1 pulse..Thanks
@@realspringer Sorry, I don't have any other suggestions. The inexpensive tach on Amazon is supposed to read up to 25,000 RPM for a 2 cylinder, 2 cycle engine. Any additional filtering for the 7250 would need modifications to the internal circuitry. Good luck.
This was a great video, very informative. I have the exact same Timing Light which don't work and still don't.
I measure 500vdc at the Xenon tube but can't get it to light up, even when I hook it to my car. I'm suspecting either the Xenon Tube or the Triggering Circuit - maybe that SCR or something with the pickup sensor. All the coils and resistors are OK. BTW, your schematic looks spot on for the power supply, but I suspect the circuit around the SCR is not quite correct. I need to order the RCA 928 SCR (165-956-1) but can't find it - will about any SCR work? Also, is there a way to test the Xenon bulb or better yet fake a trigger to the Xenon???
Here is a Sears schematic and parts list for nearly the same timing light that Roger sent me: github.com/LifeWithDavid/Sears-Timing-Light/blob/main/SearsTimingLight.pdf
From the parts list; a C106B1 SCR should work. 200V, 4A. As far as the Xenon bulb, I don't think there is an easy way to fire it. At low voltages, I think there should be no continuity between any of the three connections to the flash tube. Be aware that the pickup is pretty fragile, and it does make a difference which way it goes on the plug wire. I didn't get much further into troubleshooting the timing light; but I would also check the trigger coil. Good luck!
So, what exactly did you do to make it work again?
I think it was just dirty. High voltage electronics in the 70's was pretty finicky about contamination. Not really satisfying; but it's working again.
Nice job reverse engineering the schematic
I may have missed it but you never said what the problem was.
It just stopped working. After I cleaned the inside of the gun, it started working again. I think the dirt caused the high voltage circuitry to malfunction.
@@LifewithDavid1 Do you know David I had the same problem but as a mechanical engineer and not being as proficient as you on the electronics side I worked from the out side in so as to speak and was checking the cables only to find the problem was not in the bulb where I thought it was but in the trigger switch and the cable where it went into the gun.. Others may find the same so my advice is work from the outside inwards. Cheers Sid from the UK
What technical characteristics, brand of the bulb that this gun has
There was no number on the bulb. It was about 1" long. I think size is more important as that will govern the current the bulb takes as it flashes.
@@LifewithDavid1 tanks, revisare
@@LifewithDavid1 Where can I send you a photo of the bulb that has this lamp that I am trying to repair
So the problem was it was dirty inside?
Yeah, it must of been. Kinda anti-climatic; but it shows you how finicky high voltage electronics were in the 1970's. Dirt was also a problem in other high voltage applications like the anodes on Cathode Ray Tubes (in early TV's). In today's world of low voltage integrated circuits we've gotten "spoiled" by how dirt resistant modern devices are.
👍
Thanks for watching!
Great video, but that "music" is annoying, distracting and unnecessary.
Thanks! I agree, my audio quality has improved in the past 4 years. Thanks for watching!
So basically, I'm not smart enough to fix mine.
Well, you could try to clean it like I did. That might work. Xenon strobes of the day were a bit of black art, they are a little tough to troubleshoot. Don't be too upset. Thanks for watching!
You never did anything but dust it off? not a repair in my book? very odd video.
I agree. That's why I called it a revival.
It seems you have electronic engineering skills and can dumb it down well enough for me but , pulling things apart and finding no fault only to find it works again is luck . Don't ask me how l know , nothing ventured. Thank you , didn't know how the globe worked until now .
I agree; it would have been so much more satisfying to find a bad component. But what I have learned is that high voltage analog electronics are subject to failure by contamination. So it was part luck, and part clean-up. Hopefully others will have this same experience. I'm just happy the timing light works again. Thanks for watching!