Debate: Should I stay old school or go electronic on injector pop testing?
Had a chat with a guy named Pete at the parts counter yesterday who swore his digital pop tester saved him two hours on a 6-cylinder job compared to my old mechanical way... he said I'm wasting time counting sprays by hand. But I've been doing it that way for 15 years and never had a comeback on a rail. Do you think the newer electronic testers are worth the extra cost or is it just another way for shops to charge more for the same results?
Funny you mention Pete, because I used to be in your camp all the way. Had my mechanical tester for over a decade and figured anything digital was just a gimmick for shops to tack on labor. But then a buddy loaned me his electronic unit for a weekend job on a 6.0 Powerstroke, and it honestly changed my mind. The thing automatically counted and recorded each pop, plus gave me a readout on spray pattern consistency without me having to squint and guess. Still kept my old tester for backup, but for a 6-cylinder job, that time savings is real. Your mileage may vary depending on how often you're doing that many cylinders at once.
Sold my old mechanical tester at a swap meet after trying my buddy's Snap-on electronic unit for a week. Had the same fear about losing the feel of the spray pattern you get by ear, but the readout actually showed me a couple injectors I swore were fine but were just barely out of spec. Now I keep a note card in my box with the old counting method written down just in case the battery dies on me.