Do-It-Yourself High Performance Car Mods

Timing Lights

A timing light is used for adjusting the performance of the ignition. They are sometimes called timing guns due to their pistol-like shape, or timing strobes because of their rapid blinking. To use one, connect its power wires to the battery, clamp the pickup on the number-one spark plug wire, and aim it at the large pulley on the front of the crankshaft while the engine is running. The timing light will light up the pulley with a strobe light that will make the markings on the pulley appear to stand still. The markings will indicate when the number-one cylinder is firing.

There are a couple of features to look at when buying a timing light. The first is an inductive pickup. This works by simply clamping it around a spark plug wire. ...