Check out this vintage Sun Analyzer I just found..

[njsteve]

A local long-time, family owned Chrysler dealer near me had this sitting unused in their back room for the past 25 years. They listed their Sun 1115 Performance Anaylzer on Craigslist but no-one contacted them expect for me. He originally wanted $500, but I told him honestly, these don't really sell for all that much since they are impossible to ship and hard to move. I had a nice time talking with the owner and asked him to please check recent ebay listings and he could see similar units selling for between $15 and $150. He called me yesterday and told me I could have it for $100. So I went by today and picked it up. You won't believe the documentation and manuals inside it, and extra tools. The manuals go back to 1953! There are vintage compression testers and a vintage armature tester too!

I spoke with one of the mechanics and he said they still have all their old sales files too!

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010002.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010003.jpg

Armature tester:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010009.jpg

Compression tester:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010015-1.jpg

Paperwork galore!

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010014.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010013.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010012.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010011-1.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010008-1.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010006-1.jpg

Didn't someone have a recent tech question about the ECS emission control solenoid and how it worked with the transmisson? Here is some diagnostic stuff...

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P1010004.jpg

Now I have to go back and read my old votech manuals from 1980 and all this stuff to see if I can figure it all out again.

[Chateau Slate 66]

Hey, you did buy it!!

Good for you! When you get it all figured out, let me know. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Honestly, I would gladly pay for copies of a couple of those manuals that I didn't get with mine.

Congrats!

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s30/ajmartinson/analyzer1.jpg

[Alss]

When can I bring the car over for a tune up? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[MosportGreen66]

[ QUOTE ]
When can I bring the car over for a tune up? http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/3gears.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I was just going to ask... too cool Steve! Too cool!

[Ls6 Ragtop]

I have always thought this old diagnostic equipment was cool and picked up one of these analyzers as well as a couple of distributor machines. Unfortunately Steve is right, these analyzers never seem to bring much money as I found out when I finally realized I really didn't have the room for it and ended up giving it away. Hopefully the guy I gave it to will put it to good use.
Chris

[Dog427435]

Nice piece!!
I remember a local shop had one of those in the mid sixties - It was high tech for the time - If you had a problem you couldn't figure out, that's where you went

[68l30]

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif Nice score!


Steve

[njsteve]

Does anyone know of any dealers out there that sell new/used lead sets for Sun equipment? The originals are kind of chewed up and the timing light has seen better days.

[427TJ]

Steve, with your skills I am sure you could make this your next restoration project! Cool item.

[Verne_Frantz]

Steve, IF you get any "leads", let me know. I need the O-scope harness for my SUN model 960 "Scope Motor Tester" (circa '68)

Verne http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[njsteve]

Going through the pile of papers I found some more interesting stuff. Check out the late 50's/early 1960's prices in their catalog:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/P101000d.jpg

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/P101000c.jpg

A neat Chrysler dealership tune up chart:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/P101000b.jpg

[njsteve]

I hooked up the hemi to the sun machine and most of the machine actually works. Big information overload when you seing all those guages and lights flashing!

The timing light has seen better days. I think it is the inductive pickup since the magnet seems to be broken inside the pickup and the light does flash once in a while.

I can't get the cylinder cancelling function to shut down individual cylinders for comparson but maybe that is a function of the broken pickup.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i30/nk15268a/P101000e.jpg

[njsteve]

Here's what it looks and sounds like running:

I probably need a spark plug change as the height variation between cylinders looks like it's nearing allowable max of 4 kv.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/th_S7001176.jpg (http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/?action=view&current=S7001176.flv)

[Verne_Frantz]

You're too much Steve http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif
I can't wait to get mine hooked up to the '09 and see how it's doing! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif
Verne

[njsteve]

Verne, I found a place that has leads for the Sun machines. I dont know if they are for your application but they are for my 1115. I also just bought a new inductive pickup off of ebay for $17.

http://www.shop.automotiveequipmentparts.com/category.sc?categoryId=56

[Verne_Frantz]

We need to talk..............You have inspired me! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

PS: My computer is still in rehab. THREE operating systems running at once, so my printer/scanner is not loaded. (no more memory) I have pics of mine as well as original manuals, but can't go public now. (thank you Bill Gates) http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsdown.gif

[Mr70]

MuscleCar Enthusiast did a pretty thorough multi page write up on Sun Test equipment.
Pictures,specs,model upgrades,price speculations,trouble shooting and a few possible parts outlets too.
All researched from a guy who's as hardcore on Sun equipment,as most of us are about the cars from that era.
It was printed sometime during the Summer/Fall 2006 I believe.

[njsteve]

Can you find that article? I'd love to see it.

[Mr70]

I sold all my issues of that magazine to Ngtflyr on here.
Maybe he,or someone else from here can dig it out.
I'm almost certain it was one of the issues between Spring/Summer/Fall 2006.
It really was very informative,with info on how to contact the guy who's known as "Mr.Sun".

[mockingbird812]

I pm'd Dave.

[Ngtflyr]

After I get back from Alabama and Texas I will take a look and try to find the article. Won't be back for a little over a week though. I know where two Sun Analysers are sitting in Oklahoma, south of OK City if anyone is interested I can hook you up with the owner.

[Chevy454]

I still need the small, Sun roll around cabinet for my distributor machine...keep your eyes peeled!

[njsteve]

I located a replacement red cable and inductive pickup (about $85 total) and all of the electrical diagnostic stuff seems to work now. I haven't played with the exhaust analyzer portion yet. I think that will take a bit more tinkering to get it working.

I spent a few hours trying to locate an auto parts store that had the NGK plugs for a hemi in stock. (Since everyone on the site recommends them) I finally found 8 plugs this afternoon about 25 miles from the house. I picked them up (plus a set for the T/A too) and installed them.

I replaced all the plugs and she runs a lot smoother:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/th_S7001208.jpg (http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/?action=view&current=S7001208.flv)

[njsteve]

Everyone thinks changing plugs is easy on a hemi. Well, seven of the eight plugs are easy to replace. Trying to access plug #7 under the power brake booster is always a challenge. Chrysler actually made the #7 plug boot different than the other 7 boots. All but #7 use a bakelite insulator to locate the terminal on the end of the plug. The #7 boot, on the other hand, has a flexible rubber boot designed to bend so you can get it out without having to unbolt your entire power brake booster from the firewall. But if your car has any miles on it, that rubber boot is nowhere near flexible anymore.

Over the years I have figured out the exact combination of adapters and extensions to loosen the plug and then extract it from the tube in the valve cover. This can be quite entertaining if you are ever in the neighborhood of someone who has never done it before. It's kind of like watching a group of officers attack one of those "Leadership Assessment Obstacle Courses" in the military - you know the ones where you are tasked with getting over a 30 foot trench filled with radioactive hot lava and they give you 3 tooothpicks, a 55 gallon drum, a paper cup and a Playboy magazine, and 28 minutes to do it in. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/scholar.gif Officer Candidates, here is your challenge: #7 spark plug has one inch of clearance between the brake booster and the valve cover. You have to successfully remove a 4-inch spark plug, a 7-inch spark plug terminal and a 3-inch spark plug socket from the hole and reinstall a new spark plug without breaking it. You have 28 minutes.....
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/S7001213.jpg

[njsteve]

Here's the different plug wire terminals. The white one is the bakelight terminal for all the cylinders but #7. The black one is the flexible rubber #7 terminal:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/S7001214.jpg

[njsteve]

Here's the tools needed to replace plugs 1-6 and 8:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/S7001215.jpg

And here's my patented combination of accessories needed to change #7 in less than 2 minutes: http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif You have to know the exact combination, and order in which to attach, remove, and swap out with the next piece, in order for it to sucessfully work. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/S7001216.jpg

[njsteve]

Once I had the analyzer working properly, it was interesting to play with the cylinder cancelling function. You can short out individuals spark plugs and then measure the drop in RPM. All the cylinders should drop the same RPM when shut down. I had two cylinders, #3 and #2 that barely dropped 100 RPMs when shut down. The rest would give a 350-400 RPM drop. Once I replaced the Autolites with the NGKs, they all dropped the exact same amount of RPMs: 400.

One thing to note on these machines: you have to think about what your firing order is when doing the cancelling test because the numbers on the cancelling buttons dont neccesarily correspond with that same number cylinder in your engine. You read the spikes from left to right in this order: 8-4-3-6-5-7-2-1 on most GM and Chrysler V8s.

By the way, here are the Autolite 65's I removed. They are about 3-1/2 years old. The trouble with diagnosing plugs on a hemi is that when you loosen then plug, a tablespoon or so of oil seeps down from the aluminum sealing tube onto the plug. It is hard to get the plugs out without them dripping oil onto the electrodes. The two wet looking plugs got oiled during removal.

They all look pretty similar in burn pattern. Any plug diagnosticians out there? How do they look?

The one thing I did notice is the lack of consistency of manufacture in these Autolites. At least 2 of them have different height insulators and slightly different width center electrodes. That doesnt make for a smooth running engine. At least the NGKs all looked the same.

Plugs 2, 4, 6 and 8 are on top from left to right and plugs 1,3, 5 and 7 are on the bottom from left to right.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/plugs.jpg

[budnate]

dunno Steve the plug looks easy to do http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif....after working on some German and Italian stuff you learn to be patient and cuss like a NY long shoreman when needed for stress relief. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif

[John Brown]

[ QUOTE ]
Any plug diagnosticians out there? How do they look?

The one thing I did notice is the lack of consistency of manufacture in these Autolites. At least 2 of them have different height insulators and slightly different width center electrodes. That doesnt make for a smooth running engine. At least the NGKs all looked the same.

Plugs 2, 4, 6 and 8 are on top from left to right and plugs 1,3, 5 and 7 are on the bottom from left to right.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/plugs.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like #4 has an extra gasket too.

[njsteve]

Holy crap. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif I didnt even see that! Nice of Autolite to give me an extra gasket. So much for quality control. It's not like it was an extra one that came off of an earlier plug and got left in the tube. If you have ever tried to remove one of those metal gaskets you know what a pain it is to get them off.

The NGK gaskets were crimped on and non-removable without cutting them off.

[Ngtflyr]

Just got back home last nite. Found the article, Oct 05 issue, 5 pages will get it scanned and posted ASAP this weekend.

[Ngtflyr]

Here is the article:

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ngtflyr/SunDiagnosticsArticle1001.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ngtflyr/SunDiagnosticsArticlepage2001.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ngtflyr/SunDiagnosticsArticlepage3001.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ngtflyr/SunDiagnosticsArticlepage4001.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f327/ngtflyr/SunDiagnosticsArticlepage5001.jpg

[Hugo]

I was just given one of these but I only got the "Engine Performance Test Procedure" and pages 21-25 of the manual. Is there a way that you could make a copy of the manual?
I'd be happy to pay you for any expenses.

[BUIZILLA]

where can I find a value guide for a Sun distributor machine?

I have one that's virtually new, mint condition, probably only used a handful of times, I don't need it.

[Verne_Frantz]

I think very good ones sell for about $300. Too bad you're so far away because I'd really like a good one. I want one that actually WORKS and not just for display.

Verne http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Stefano]

Jim,
I'm interested if your selling. Please send pics and info.

[Verne_Frantz]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any plug diagnosticians out there? How do they look?

The one thing I did notice is the lack of consistency of manufacture in these Autolites. At least 2 of them have different height insulators and slightly different width center electrodes. That doesnt make for a smooth running engine. At least the NGKs all looked the same.

Plugs 2, 4, 6 and 8 are on top from left to right and plugs 1,3, 5 and 7 are on the bottom from left to right.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/plugs.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like #4 has an extra gasket too.

[/ QUOTE ]

#1 is burning the best and it also looks like it has the closest gap........ http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif #2 is the worst, very rich. #5 is close, also rich.

[BUIZILLA]

Stef, i'll take some pic's tomorrow, I have it wrapped in shrinkwrap, I don't think it has one scratch... it's on a roll around original cabinet with front door...

[rpoz11]

I have 2 of these machines in the garage here; different models though.

One being a '68 unit ( I think ) and another being a later version with the cylinder cancellations.

I think SNAPON owns the SUN line now and I did look into it years ago and they said that they could come out and calibrate my units to their old specs. Not sure if they still offer that service anymore.

[njsteve]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Any plug diagnosticians out there? How do they look?

The one thing I did notice is the lack of consistency of manufacture in these Autolites. At least 2 of them have different height insulators and slightly different width center electrodes. That doesnt make for a smooth running engine. At least the NGKs all looked the same.

Plugs 2, 4, 6 and 8 are on top from left to right and plugs 1,3, 5 and 7 are on the bottom from left to right.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b216/nk15268/plugs.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

Looks like #4 has an extra gasket too.

[/ QUOTE ]

#1 is burning the best and it also looks like it has the closest gap........ http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif #2 is the worst, very rich. #5 is close, also rich.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Verne! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif
It's really hard to get those plugs out of the engine without having the residual oil in the plug tube drip down the threads and onto the insulators, so that always throws off the reading a bit on the "oily" plugs.

[Chateau Slate 66]

[ QUOTE ]
I think very good ones sell for about $300. Too bad you're so far away because I'd really like a good one. I want one that actually WORKS and not just for display.

Verne http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I have been watching these for a while. Depending on condition, the manuals and cabinet, and completeness, they run from $400 to $1000.

$300 would be an absolute steal for a good unit.

[SS427]

[ QUOTE ]
I think very good ones sell for about $300. Too bad you're so far away because I'd really like a good one. I want one that actually WORKS and not just for display.

Verne http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[/ QUOTE ]


DITTO!!!

[Chateau Slate 66]

Here's one that just sold on eBay. Seems to be complete, but is dirty and has NO guarantee that it works.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUN-500-D...#ht_6783wt_1165 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SUN-500-Distributor-Tester-w-Storage-Drawer-Tool-Tray_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518f787c23QQitemZ3 50299388963QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools#ht_678 3wt_1165)

Sold for $762

[BUIZILLA]

Stef, mines a 504...