Sooo... right into it:
1. Why not use a strip style piezo sensor permanently mounted on the #1 injector line? Basically, you could use this (with signal amplification and a touch of other electronics) to trigger an inductive (normal) timing light.
2. Moving forward, you could ALSO use a magnetic pickup mounted on the timing tab to count revolutions. This would imply that you could, via simple, live calculations on an arduino or similar, determine timing. Calculation, in theory: ((time of injection/time per revolution)/360))
3. This RPM and timing could then be output to an LCD or LED screen, along with thermocouple input and a pressure sensor for boost for in-cab monitoring.
4. Pushing the idea even further forward, you could test each injector line by including a degree offset per cylinder, allowing you to locate problematic injectors (with a significantly lower or higher "timing" since they pop at a lower/higher than desired pressure)
Phew...
As proof of concept, I'll be attaching a strip piezo sensor to the #1 line later this week, and monitoring it's output on an oscilloscope. Theoretically, at idle I should see a signal of unknown amplitude at around 4.83 hertz.(580 rpm/60 seconds = 9.66 rpm/second, divided by 2 since it's a four cycle = 4.83 injection events per cylinder, per second) I also have a small logic board that will allow me to dial in a "gain" and format the output to a digital signal above a threshold I set. IF it works as I hope, with a detectable signal at the proper timescale, there may be hope for this goofy idea.
1. Why not use a strip style piezo sensor permanently mounted on the #1 injector line? Basically, you could use this (with signal amplification and a touch of other electronics) to trigger an inductive (normal) timing light.
2. Moving forward, you could ALSO use a magnetic pickup mounted on the timing tab to count revolutions. This would imply that you could, via simple, live calculations on an arduino or similar, determine timing. Calculation, in theory: ((time of injection/time per revolution)/360))
3. This RPM and timing could then be output to an LCD or LED screen, along with thermocouple input and a pressure sensor for boost for in-cab monitoring.
4. Pushing the idea even further forward, you could test each injector line by including a degree offset per cylinder, allowing you to locate problematic injectors (with a significantly lower or higher "timing" since they pop at a lower/higher than desired pressure)
Phew...
As proof of concept, I'll be attaching a strip piezo sensor to the #1 line later this week, and monitoring it's output on an oscilloscope. Theoretically, at idle I should see a signal of unknown amplitude at around 4.83 hertz.(580 rpm/60 seconds = 9.66 rpm/second, divided by 2 since it's a four cycle = 4.83 injection events per cylinder, per second) I also have a small logic board that will allow me to dial in a "gain" and format the output to a digital signal above a threshold I set. IF it works as I hope, with a detectable signal at the proper timescale, there may be hope for this goofy idea.
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