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Imp558
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I just realized I never linked this to my DIY Oscilloscope thread, I ended up with an 8 channel scope interface and 8 DIY inductive probes in a tech case for $200, not too shabby and I've even used it a few times to view secondary traces and diagnose a funky CKP.

 

Anybody with basic electronics skills could make one.

 

http://www.w-body.com/topic/54501-automotive-oscilloscope/

 

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That would be right up my alley, except for the only time I used an oscilloscope on a car, it was to diagnose a wheel speed sensor. It acted correctly, so the scope did little but prove that. Never used one on ignition.

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I don't use it enough to remember all the waveform nuances so I printed out everything I could find from this guy.

 

http://www.searchautoparts.com/motorage/training/scoping-secondary-ignition-systems

 

An oscilloscope can diagnose a lot more than just ignition, moisture in the cylinder, low compression, ect..

I haven't used it much but I love knowing it's ready if I need it.

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That's quite fascinating. I had heard from you about the uses but I have never seen them in action. I bet if I were to see this in action, I would be hooked instantly.

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  • 2 months later...

Here's a neato one I should have posted a while back but with all the chatter lately about repairing factory stereos I decided to.

 

This is my de-soldering station, after I completed it a friend of mine compared it to his very nice one and it works as well for a fraction of the price.

 

I'm not going to go into details about the construction since someone else may choose a different case and the circuit for it is easy enough that anybody should be able to figure it out but I switched 12V with the foot pedal, not 110. The Iron is hot the entire time it's plugged in.

 

Also not in the picture is the spring loaded broom handle holder-upper clip from Valu home Center that I now clip the iron to the inside of the lid with to keep it from melting shit.

 

Sources below reflect the iron (which may or may not still be available from Radio Shack but there's a multitude of this style elsewhere), vacuum pump, and foot pedal.

 

The little fuel filter came from Autozone and keeps solder from getting to the pump, The 12VDC  power supply is of the "found in a drawer from some old printer or router" variety and isn't very high current but the pump isn't demanding at all, the vinyl tubing came from Valu, and the tool box came from HFT.

 

The piece of sheetmetal I just bent up with my vise and a couple boards, the handle has a hunk of big ass heat shrink on it to keep the tubing out of my way.

 

Hope somebody finds this useful:

 

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Iron:

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-45-watt-desoldering-iron

 

Vacuum pump:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10398

 

Foot Pedal:

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11192

Edited by Imp558
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I’m going to have to look into that. We have a nice lab at work, but I prefer not having to rely on the boss being ok with what I might be doing.

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The day after it was finished I did a Hondata install for a friend and it kicked ass. Had it not been a friend that would have paid for the entire project. The case of beer he gave me for doing it was appreciated though.

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  • 7 months later...

I'm thinking about DIY alignments again. The most expensive part is turn plates so I'd like to see if I can fabricate a set.

Can anyone think of something circular about that size with degrees marked accurately? 

I suppose I could start with maybe lazy suzan bearings or old strut bearings and make my own legends but it would bother me and I'd second guess them all the time.

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On 1/9/2018 at 5:46 PM, Imp558 said:

There were special tools to keep the a arm from collapsing but I'm not fortunate enough to own one of those sets so I had to go to the hardware store and get a hunk of 2-inch pipe.

I use a large socket, and the two hunks of pipe in my vise. The two pieces that resemble main bearings were cut out of the same 2" pipe, they are just a little snug when put in the A-arm. In practice I put the hose clamp on so they don't cock or move.

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Use Polyurethane bushings, you won't need any of those tools.  Propane torch, emery cloth to clean the original shells, then press the poly insert and inner sleeve in by hand.

 

On 1/14/2018 at 8:43 AM, no1kicker said:

When I had my 1990 GP I used an engine tilter to help with plug changes.  It worked well and IIRC it was a rental tool at the time.

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I have exactly that tool.  Bought it from a tool-clearance store, I suppose I paid about ten dollars.

It "works" on a DOHC first-gen Lumina, but it's actually easier to do without.  It might be more useful with a 3.1.

On 11/2/2018 at 2:10 PM, Imp558 said:

I'm thinking about DIY alignments again. The most expensive part is turn plates so I'd like to see if I can fabricate a set.

Can anyone think of something circular about that size with degrees marked accurately? 

I suppose I could start with maybe lazy suzan bearings or old strut bearings and make my own legends but it would bother me and I'd second guess them all the time.

You don't need turnplates.  Four pieces of sheet steel, two for each side.  Put a layer of grease between them, drive over the top.  The upper piece will slide on the lower.  You'd want to build something similar for the rear.  Marking the degrees will be the worst part.

I actually bought turnplates from a shop that was updating their equipment.  Had to drop 'em in the solvent tank after disassembly to clean out forty years of dirt.  They'd hardly glide when I bought them.  Not bad, now.

The worst part about tooling for a D-I-Y alignment is getting the floor level.  If the floor is tilted front-to-back, your caster readings will be affected.  If the floor is tilted side-to-side, camber readings are affected.

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It only takes a minute to press a bushing from the A arm, having it out makes it stupid easy to poly swap them. 

http://www.w-body.com/topic/39137-poly-control-arm-bushings-on-1st-gen-w-body/page-6

I can make slip plates easily but the tools for camber/caster I'm looking at require incremental turn plates for set up.

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If you melt-out the rubber bushing from the outer shell, there's ZERO danger of distorting the control arm, and there's no need for special tooling or a press.  The original shell is re-used.

Yes, you'd need to figure out a method to determine the angle the front wheels are turned to get the caster function of a magnetic gauge to work.

Don't forget that you'll also need the rim adapters to stick the magnetic gauge to, and all the inexpensive ones are junk because they have no method to adjust for wheel runout.

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The poly bushings we use for them are a pretty tight fit, these don't press by hand.

Since it's quick to remove the bushings from the arm I did it so it would be easy to heat it evenly and clean them out but mostly when I hammered the bushings into the sleeves I didn't want to risk bending the A-arms.

There's only one set of my A-arms in existence. 

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