Unpopular opinion: you don't need a timing light to set your ignition timing

Olivia Chen · 2026-09-25T18:25:03.364662+00:00

My neighbor kept telling me I had to buy a $60 timing light to get my 1988 Civic running right after I swapped the distributor, and I told him I'd rather spend that money on gas. I marked the pulley with a little white paint and used a $4 vacuum gauge from Harbor Freight instead, tuning it by ear until the vacuum pulled steady at 20 inches. Has anyone else set timing with a vacuum gauge, or am I the only one too cheap for the right tool?

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Unpopular opinion: you don't need a timing light to set your ignition timing | Broke But Building - HW Forums