Timing Advance
Race Director
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 14,924
Likes: 9
From: Merritt Ils Fl
Your computer will assume base timing is set at 6 degrees and work from there. When it senses ping the computer will begin pulling timing till pinging stops. Using 92/93 octane fuel will, maybe, reduce the amount of timing pulled but the net results will not be a power gain you will notice. At least that is my take on it.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 217
Likes: 0
From: Coopersville MI
I increase my 85's timing from 6 to ending at 14. I took it slow to see how things went. Started going up by 2. I run premium, I have not heard any knock, not saying the computer doesnt. The response in the car was a big difference. Other than that, I cant say it was a huge difference. I did this in conjunction with resetting the IAC and idle speed as well.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,080
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh PA
It will depend on the actual timing curve in the stock bin and the air fuel ratio at WOT/cruise.
You can advance base timing and not see any negative side effects like knock or any timing retard from the ecm. Then again you may not.
Leaving 6 inthe chip, and changing base to 10 means you add 4 deg over the entire spark table. That wont effect idle and may not have any impact on cruise timing but could have big impact on WOT
You may already ahve 34-36 deg in WOT at max rpm. 4 more deg could give you 38-40 which is alot of timing without premium fuel and even alot with 93 oct...
Without knowing what you have its hard to say what will happen. You need a computer scan while driving to test this, as you will have timing being pulled WELL before you ever hear any knocking.
93 oct gas will help prevent any detonation or knocking which SHOULD yeild more power everywhere. May not be a whole lot, but any aggressive timing curve on a motor for premium fuel is worth power.
You can advance base timing and not see any negative side effects like knock or any timing retard from the ecm. Then again you may not.
Leaving 6 inthe chip, and changing base to 10 means you add 4 deg over the entire spark table. That wont effect idle and may not have any impact on cruise timing but could have big impact on WOT
You may already ahve 34-36 deg in WOT at max rpm. 4 more deg could give you 38-40 which is alot of timing without premium fuel and even alot with 93 oct...
Without knowing what you have its hard to say what will happen. You need a computer scan while driving to test this, as you will have timing being pulled WELL before you ever hear any knocking.
93 oct gas will help prevent any detonation or knocking which SHOULD yeild more power everywhere. May not be a whole lot, but any aggressive timing curve on a motor for premium fuel is worth power.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,227
Likes: 284
Remember if he has origanal heads (ancient camber designs) alittle timing will help. GM set the timing there so you could run on some pretty crappy gas that is out there. Also the CFIs have a map sensor, so advancing the timing will add alittle more vacuum, which may add some mpgs. Make sure the egr system works good, as that helps w/ part throttle spark knock.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,357
Likes: 3,253
From: Hartford WI
I generally don't think much of timing advances. What it does is advance the timing across the board. ECM still assumes you have 6 degrees. At some points, you might be able to use more timing but at others, not so much. It is better to have it done in the chip program so it can be done only at the points where you need to. At some points it might ping or even ping lightly and the ECM will retard the timing so any gains you got go to waste. Also, in the meantime, these repeated episodes might stress the block out.