Classic/Antique Car Repair: analyzer operation, customer support group, smog test

Question
Hello Dick,
I have just purchased a used CVIS engine/emission analyzer manufactured by "United Technologies" / "Hamilton Test System".
model# HT203700-1  P#8  L#8 .
I have no experience with these units. It appears to be functional,but there is no operating manual with it. The manufacturer doesn't list this item on its web site.
I am hoping that you or someone you know have operating or service literature.
If you can help, this will be the best $30 thing I've ever found.
Thanks for your valuable time and consideration,
  John Hunt

Answer
I had a very similar experience about 10 years ago, when I bought an AutoScan 4030 at auction for the same price - $30!  It must be the going rate for obsolete engine analyzers.   I also got it without the manual, but I found that all the connectors were labled, and the function controls were pretty obvious as to their use.  I've been using it ever since, with great success at diagnosing and tuning up older cars.  It has no ability to deal with computerized cars, or fuel injection, but the cars I work on don't have these things.

In your case, I think Hamilton Test Systems is still in business here in California, as I believe they are one of the leading suppliers of smog test hardware.  Perhaps you can contact their customer support group and get someone there to take pity on you and send you a manual.  If not, just play with it, put it on a car you already know is running well, and see what you can figure out from what you see on the scope and meters.  If this seems too daunting a task, see if you can locate someone with experience with these or similar analysers, and ask them to help you get started with it.  I had no such experience, other than standing and watching the smog test guys, and I managed to figure it all out - it's really pretty simple when you get into it.

The analyzer will probably have a probe for the distributor primary side (the - terminal of the coil on a normal car), one for engine block ground, one for plug #1, one for the coil secondary (high voltage wire from the center of the distributor cap), and perhaps a separate one for #1 plug to operate the timing light.  The timing light will probably have a knob on it to use in calibrating the centrifugal and vacuum advance units; leave this knob clicked off for normal timing test.  There will be a vacuum hose for intake manifold vacuum (tee into the line to the brake booster), a probe for the + terminal of the battery.  These probes will have aligator clips for everything but the high voltage wires (Spark plug and coil secondary), which will have clamp on type ends.

See what you can figure out for yourself, and if you need me to critque what you've done, just post a follow up and I'll give it a try.

Congratulations on scoring a really useful piece of test equipment -  I use mine frequently, and have managed to dope out some really obscure problems with it.

Dick