Should I buy a timing light?

[kalebsheridan]

Hey everyone,
So recently I was attempting to tune my motor according to my clymer manual. I hooked up a cheap induction tack not knowing that forces use a double spark. My tach was reading about 1500-1600 in gear in the water. I didn't realize that I should half that number. Due to this I adjusted the idle screw on the throttle tower thing to attempt to reach the 750 rpm spec and it idled terribly (shocker). Well now I know that I was reading my tach wrong. Do I need to buy a timing light to reset my idle? Or should I just use my tach and adjust the idle back up to the appropriate number? Thanks!

 

[Nordin]

A timing light is a very good tool to have in the tool box for service and troubleshooting but just to set the idle speed, no do not buy one for that reason.
Buy a cheap tiny tach or a analog tach gauge for the dashboard.
If you buy a timing light buy one with a pick up sender and not one that you connect inline with the spark plug boot and spark plug.
I prefer a good well known brand.
I have a Snap On that you can adjust and preadvance the timing.
Some timing lights has a built in tach function but I think they are pretty expensive.

 

[Scott Danforth]

clymer manuals are junk. buy a used factory manual

 

[kalebsheridan]

Okay sweet! I may still pick one up just for the future, but hopefully I'm good now, like you said nordin. Yup all see about getting a shop manual. Just find one on eBay? Or are there PDF versions?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Okay sweet! I may still pick one up just for the future, but hopefully I'm good now, like you said nordin. Yup all see about getting a shop manual. Just find one on eBay? Or are there PDF versions?

there are no PDF versions due to copy right laws. look for a used one on evilbay

 

[kalebsheridan]

Copy that