My digital RIV timing light - Engine testing - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

funola · #1 03-08-2014, 01:05 PM

In this thread http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/351858-introducing-my-timing-light-injection-timing-digital-riv-method.html I demonstrated my digital RIV timing light on the bench and it worked great. Getting it to work in the engine was a different story with a few setbacks. I worked out some of the kinks and got the sensor installed and just ran it in my 85 300D and shot the following video. It was very bright out- full sun and the contrast is not great. I will try to get a better video after sunset.

Per my RIV timing light, timing is around 14 deg after TDC. My MPG is not very good so I'll be measuring timing chain stretch and set the timing to FSM spec of 15 deg after TDC when it get's warmer and see if MPG improves. When reving the engine, I can see the timing marks advance. I'll try to get a video of that later.

I plan to offer my digital RIV timing light in the rental section when it is ready. There's more work to be done to make it more robust. I think it will be a very useful tool for many here.

CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO!

The timing light used is an Actron CP7529 Inductive with RPM and advance feature. Here you can see my RPM is 640, nice and steady.
CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO!

Stretch · #2 03-08-2014, 01:21 PM

...are you sure about the timing mark reading at the crank?

I made a sneaky screen shot of your video and it looks like you're at 7 degrees ATDC

funola · #3 03-08-2014, 01:25 PM

I am certain it is near 14 deg. It's not a very good video and the numbers are hard to read. I will mark the 15 deg mark with green paint later and shoot another video. If you look closely at the sneaky pic, you'll see the TDC pin above the triangular pointer.

Stretch · #4 03-08-2014, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

I am certain it is near 14 deg. It's not a very good video and the numbers are hard to read. I will mark the 15 deg mark with green paint later and shoot another video. If you look closely at the sneaky pic, you'll see the TDC pin above the triangular pointer.

Yep I can see the pin but it isn't at zero is it?

Here's a picture stolen from the wiki

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/OM615OM616InjPumpTiming

funola · #5 03-08-2014, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Yep I can see the pin but it isn't at zero is it?

In mine, rotation of harmonic balancer is from bottom to top, Pin is at zero degree (TDC), pointer is at 14 degree after TDC. Make sense?

funola · #6 03-27-2014, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Yep I can see the pin but it isn't at zero is it?

Here's a picture stolen from the wiki

PeachPartsWiki: How to Set IP Timing via the Drip Tube Method

Stretch,

Since I have not heard back from you. I am wondering if I have cleared up this confusion?

In a nutshell, the wiki pic you posted is for for OM615 & 616 engines and not applicable to OM617 and later engines with IP's that have the RIV port. The timing pointer in the wiki pic is physically in a different location than OM617 turbo engines.

My timing light should work on all OM617 (with RIV port) and from what I can gather, later engines with inline injection pumps, OM602, 603 .....

Stretch · #7 03-27-2014, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funola

Stretch,

Since I have not heard back from you. I am wondering if I have cleared up this confusion?

In a nutshell, the wiki pic you posted is for for OM615 & 616 engines and not applicable to OM617 and later engines with IP's that have the RIV port. The timing pointer in the wiki pic is physically in a different location than OM617 turbo engines.

My timing light should work on all OM617 (with RIV port) and from what I can gather, later engines with inline injection pumps, OM602, 603 .....

Sorry I've been off in the zone fighting the good fight again. I see now that the picture of the OM616 isn't applicable. I actually had a check on the non turbo OM617 sitting in the back of my garage the other day to find the timing marks are just like yours. So I got myself confused - all in a bunch about nothing!

Stretch · #8 03-08-2014, 01:45 PM

Oh yeah pointer on the other side of the picture...

...looking forward to your green mark!!!

funola · #9 03-08-2014, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

Oh yeah pointer on the other side of the picture...

...looking forward to your green mark!!!

Yeah, what engine is your wiki pic?

Edit: apparently 615/616 engines have the pointer on the other side of the mag pickup?

funola · #10 03-08-2014, 09:34 PM

I put a dab of green paint at 10 deg ATDC line, 2 dabs at the 20 deg ATDC, and painted over the 15 deg ATDC line. The new videos I took are still pretty crappy so I did not upload them. I'll try again tomorrow.

funola · #11 03-08-2014, 09:53 PM

This one is the best of the few videos I took so I decided to upload it. At idle, you can see it is not in the middle of 10 and 20 degrees (where 15 is), but at around 13 to 14 degrees. Revving the engine advances the timing. The rapping sound you hear is not from the engine but from the timing light resting/bouncing against the power steering pump. (Camera was in my left hand and right hand was working the throttle.)

CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO!

funola · #12 03-09-2014, 11:51 AM

Compared to the video below, which was using a different timing light, a different sensor (TDC RPM sensor on harmonic balancer), the new Actron timing light is more choppy. I want to investigate why. Is it the Actron light? Or is it the sensor gap not adjusted optimally, or the electronics?

Or maybe it is doing exactly what it's supposed to? The IP trigger tang is driven by the centrifugal advance, and also affected by the governor. What do you think? Maybe it's ok after all?

CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO!

Stretch · #13 04-09-2014, 03:41 AM

You tube videos are working - next up photo bucket video doesn't work for me any more.

Send my regards to Brian when you see him

funola · #14 04-09-2014, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stretch

You tube videos are working - next up photo bucket video doesn't work for me any more.

Send my regards to Brian when you see him

Will do. He says he's very busy.

Was a problem with Photobucket. I used their organize feature and deleted a bunch of old pics and now I realize that's when the problem started. All pics and videos that I wanted to keep were still there but I could only open pics, not videos. I just went into the organize feature again, clicked oldest first, then newest first and my Photobucket videos are working again.

I think I'm going to stop using Photobucket for videos which has been kind of a kludgy experience for me. I am still trying to figure out on Youtube how to post a pic link of a video instead of a text link. Anyone?

funola · #15 04-20-2014, 10:48 AM

I would have liked to have this done already but I have not heard back from Brian Carlton since his initial email reply. I've emailed him 3 times since with no reply. Hope he is OK.

In the mean time I am looking for someone else locally with the RIV A-B lights. Anyone else in NYC and vicinity with one please PM me. I prefer not doing mail order rental of the tool if i can avoid it.

I have more ideas such as miniaturizing the timing light so it can be mounted with a USB Borescope video camera to video record the timing while the car is being driven. But I do not want to start this new project until I can demonstrate that my timing light is at least as accurate as the factory tool.