Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.
|
Sun Engine Analyzer |
Post Reply |
Author | |
MIPS
AMC Nut Joined: Mar/11/2019 Location: Kamloops, BC Status: Offline Points: 347 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
Posted: Nov/23/2022 at 2:21pm |
This is a pretty damn niche tool unless you have the willpower and space to buy one but the MSA-1500's seem to show up often enough through Craigslist/FB Marketplace and online liquidators and sell for a lot less than the cost to drive and load it on a trailer ($150 or less) and I don't mind getting dirty messing with these older analyzers because according to google nobody knows how to use them.
Late 80's and early 90's styling so pardon the design clash if everything else in the garage is from the 60's/70's but it will work with damn near anything you roll it up to. Base models can monitor RPM, strobe timing, dwell, battery voltage, secondary coil HV and spark efficiency per cylinder, plus disable cylinders one at a time. Compatible with 2/4 stroke engines up to 12 cylinders. (!) Works with both positive and negative ground vehicles and both points and solid state ignition systems. There's a multimeter built-in for volts and ohms/continuity and a full engine kill button. Options included combination amp clamp and universal vacuum pressure kit, Coil primary voltage, magnetic timing probe, hard copy printer and CO/CO2/HC/O2 exhaust gas analyzer. Technically the cart and boom arm are also options but I don't see why you wouldn't of just bought them anyways. They don't seem to be too bad for maintenance. The electronics are rather simple inside and other than possibly having to reseat a chip or two it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that just drops dead unless someone goes in and tries to recalibrate it themselves. The test cables seem to be interchangeable with most of the Sun machines from the 70's and 60's. The only real snag is the gas analyzer. If you are really savvy there are both the owners manual and the service manual available online (It's in a huge dump of manuals found here) but to rebuild and maintain the analyzer is expensive. Nearly 20 feet of tubing to replace, the oxygen sensor is $150 and is only rated for 16 months and the calibration data is stored in memory that is protected by a long dead battery. A full recalibration also requires an expensive cylinder of calibration gas however if you don't care for that the machine will continue to work fine with the analyzer not working. Other than alternator testing and a few newer things I doubt we care about here (distributorless ignition, Mercedes Diesel and non-AMC computer diagnostic checks) there's not much else it can do so it's absolutely a thing for people with a big enough garage and small wallets. |
|
jpnjim
AMC Addicted Joined: Nov/25/2007 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 2752 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Nice!
Thanks for starting a thread on this! Do you think it would work with the 87-90 Jeep Renix Computer systems at all? Just curious, I don't have room for one of those in the garage anyway, unless I got rid of something else in there first.
|
|
71 P-code 4spd Javelin/AMX
some Jeeps and some Fords |
|
MIPS
AMC Nut Joined: Mar/11/2019 Location: Kamloops, BC Status: Offline Points: 347 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
Should be since it doesn't need to talk to the vehicle directly. As long as you can give it coil secondary out, cylinder 1 and TACH- from anywhere you can connect a tachometer (diagnostic connector?) it will do the rest for you.
Edited: Oh, you mean talk directly to the Renix computer directly? No. the optional Data Link kit states that is only compatible with Ford, GM and Chrysler systems. AMC/Renix are not listed and they don't list any adapters for those systems. HEI ignition is supported with an adapter from Sun. There are a few sites that sell replacement test leads and harnesses new and used but I've had a bit of trouble finding reliable sources with multiples in stock so you might have to just save a search on ebay and wait a few months. My analyzer has the option plate for magnetic timing but I didn't receive the probe. Edited by MIPS - Nov/24/2022 at 12:14pm |
|
fastjeep
AMC Fan Joined: May/22/2011 Location: York PA Status: Offline Points: 23 |
Post Options
Thanks(0)
|
I miss using a scope to troubleshoot engine problems. With a scope you can find bad spark plugs, wires and coil easily because you see the pattern of the cycle. Being able to stack cylinders you can see low compression and vacuum leaks and isolate which cylinder is weak. With everything computer controlled now still need to verify basic engine problems. I see people swap sensors thinking that's the problem a computer can't correct mechanical problem in engine.
|
|
Post Reply | |
Tweet
|
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |