Any way to test a distributor

[sujitroy]

My son has a few ARDUINOs and Raspberry pies and a Picoscope. ( Cheap oscilloscope probes which works with a PC). Are there any suggestions if any of these can be used to test the centrifugal parts of a distributor?
I do have a timing gun.

Sujit

[Phil S]

find an old garage they may still have a lucas distributor tester tucked away in the back somewhere, not used one for 30 odd years but a few survived

[StagJonno]

Can't fully answer your query, but I did look at using a Picoscope a good few years ago - from memory, this is limited to a 5V sensing level. Can't remember if this was RMS or maximum. There may have been subsequent developments since, but do check.

[barkerwilliams]

Not a direct answer, but one of the ignition timing strobes with an adjustable advance setting is great to check the centrifugal advance.

Two person job, one under the bonnet with the gun, one in the seat with foot on throttle.

Start engine and have "driver" set engine to perhaps 1,000rpm and man under the bonnet sets the gun to zero advance on the crank pully, probably 11' on the timing gun.

Driver revs engine slowly and steadily, when the crank timing moves ask the driver for rpm and zero the crank with the timing adjustment on the gun, perhaps 3,500rpm and 30' advance make a note and work through the rev range.
Then work down the rev range as centrifugal weights can be sticky.

At the end of five minutes you will have a reasonable map of your distributor advance.

Alan

[trunt]

Not a direct answer, but one of the ignition timing strobes with an adjustable advance setting is great to check the centrifugal advance.

Two person job, one under the bonnet with the gun, one in the seat with foot on throttle.

Start engine and have "driver" set engine to perhaps 1,000rpm and man under the bonnet sets the gun to zero advance on the crank pully, probably 11' on the timing gun.

Driver revs engine slowly and steadily, when the crank timing moves ask the driver for rpm and zero the crank with the timing adjustment on the gun, perhaps 3,500rpm and 30' advance make a note and work through the rev range.
Then work down the rev range as centrifugal weights can be sticky.

At the end of five minutes you will have a reasonable map of your distributor advance.

Alan

Thats what we talked about Sujit, “advance timing light” about $50
Much easier than spinning the thing up and trying to work out the advance off the car. Most have the rpm on the dial as well.

Terry

[sujitroy]

Thanks everyone. It was just a thought since my kid has all that stuff. Seems like overkill and just get a better timing light.

[jbuckl]

Also, any strobe will pick up on ‘timing skatter’ which is when a few of the flashes are randomly out.
when this shows up, it is often a sign of worn centrifugal mechanism or sticking base plates.
can also be worn skew gears.