Recent content by skykeith

I bought a FLIR C5 camera a year ago. It was very expensive ($500),but the accuracy and resolution is awesome. It has opened up a whole new world of troubleshooting. I’ve found everything from dead cylinders on airplanes, bad alternator bearings , plugged heater cores , overheated relays, and...

On my stand, I have a switched/fused power wire that I connect to the charging system. I can turn the alternator on or off separate from the ignition. I've run Chrysler, Nippondenso, and currently have a Delphi CS130D that i'm playing with. All you have to do is wire the alternator the way the...

You are absolutely right. Once you troubleshoot with a scope, you will never go without one.

You need to find someone who has and can read an ignition scope. It will tell you everything. The secondary ignition patterns can be displayed in different formats. the cylinders are individually displayed and can be compared to each other. Everything that effects an ignition will be displayed...

You need to get the correct crimpers for the terminal and learn how to use them. There’s not a single car made with crimped and soldered connectors and there’s a reason for it.

I haven’t seen any airplanes going away from two alternators. In fact I’ve installed 5 of these backup alternators in single engine airplanes that have been converted to “glass cockpits”. I’m currently installing a Plane Power generator to alternator conversion in a Beechcraft Baron. All of my...

Cut the smooth end off a torch tip cleaner and run it in and out several times, working it around in the socket. Flush the contact with cleaner. This does a nice job. And it’s not aggressive enough to remove any metal.

You can, but it’s kind of interesting seeing the diodes actually work.

You can test alternator diodes with an oscilloscope and a coil on plug inductance ignition probe. All you have to do is touch the C.O.P. probe to the back of the alternator and it will display the voltage ripple pattern. I should have inverted the pattern, but it does show a good ripple pattern...

These are very common on the big 6 cylinder Continental engines.

It depends on the plug gap and compression. You can see it on an oscilloscope. If you open the plug gaps it takes more voltage to ionize the air and create a spark.

Unfortunately ignition testing requires test equipment the average person can’t afford to buy just to locate a problem. I used to do ignition work for money and have a Mac ET975 diagnostic oscilloscope, a Uscope, and a thermal camera. That’s over $2000 dollars worth of equipment, but with it you...

No, the Amp pins are a little over .070.

They are Amp/Tyco mate-n-Loks. The p/n for the receptical is 1-480319-0 the plug is 1-480318-0. The pins are 60618-1. the sockets are 60617-1. Mouser and Digital-key have them.

Year One sells non adhesive harness wrap under p/n HWRAP.