<VV> Dwell Meter Tachometer

[Larry Forman]

At 07:33 PM 7/4/2005 -0400, JRVIDRINE at aol.com wrote:
>Folks,
>
>Does anyone still handle the combination dwell meter tachometer which used
>to be easily obtained.  I have checked and everyone seems to just give me a
>blank stare.  I realize that most cars now have electronic ignition 
>and  don't
>need this.
>
>If you know of an auto parts chain that has these or a specialty catalog,
>please let me know.  I can find a dwell meter, but would like to have the
>combination.  I checked in the Sears Tool Catalog and also JC Whitneys 
>and  neither
>had one.  I have also tried on the internet and have come up  empty.
>
>Thanks
>Randy Vidrine

Hi Randy,
I must have purchased at least 3 or 4 on eBay plus a cylinder balancer 
checker.  All for about $20 each through careful bidding.  Look for various 
features.  The one with starter current shunt is pretty useful when 
rebuilding or considering rebuilding a starter.  Interestingly, the free 
running starter current draw is MORE for a newly rebuilt starter.  I 
suspect it is due to the brushes making better contact when running.  The 
analog meter is actually easier to read for increases and decreases than a 
digital is.  There are even pocket rpm and dwell meters.  I college I built 
a simple dwell meter using a potentiometer and a diode driving an analog 
meter.  You adjusted the meter with the points open and then ran the engine 
and the average dwell time read out as a percentage of full scale.  With a 
simple decoder chart or a mark on the meter it was pretty simple to hit 
your target dwell.  I suspect the circuits are available on the Internet 
with a simple search.

Larry