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-   -   Ignition timing and piston rings... (https://www.homemadeturbo.com/engine-management-10/ignition-timing-piston-rings-93698/)

JonDouglas 07-22-2008 02:35 AM

Re: Ignition timing and piston rings...
 

Originally Posted by Joseph Davis
Sewell, Blundell, Xeno, I, and others do.

My main mojo that I can lay on you, that I don't hear *anywhere* is that sometimes the plug looks like there's trash on it but it's just from a misfire or wear. The definitive answer is looking at the face of the piston witha bright flashlight; if the carbon coat looks like you've poked holes through it with a pin, so that you can see pinpricks of shiny aluminum, you are experiencing detonation and timing needs to be backed off in that cylinder.

Right, I wasn't referring to your guys' part of the country. I was referring to the KC area.

Good to know. That makes sense.

I assume a good penlight would work well for peering into the combustion chamber? A borescope would be awesome, but being a full time student won't allow for such expensive toys.

I really do need to play around with reading spark plugs and det cans. I built a det can setup, but have only used it once.

Any good way to determine optimal ignition timing off of the dyno? I assume that reading the spark plugs alone will not yield optimum results. Is this correct?

I generally seem to get a pretty solid tune on the street. Keep in mind that I pretty much only tune NA cars.

Bone1 07-22-2008 02:39 AM

Re: Ignition timing and piston rings...
 
that dragstuff link and the others at the bottom is them.

I got it thru www.yellowbullet.com a very big drag racing web site.

Lets just say Billy Glidden and J. Hump are memebers, ALOT of varied knowledge there.

Tom-Guy 07-22-2008 12:43 PM

Re: Ignition timing and piston rings...
 

Originally Posted by snm95ls
I assume a good penlight would work well for peering into the combustion chamber? A borescope would be awesome, but being a full time student won't allow for such expensive toys.

borescopes are needed for some cars where either the plug entry is at a wack ass angle or you can't stick your head in there (scooby) but for a normal B or D I wouldn't use a borescope even if I had one. Straight drop in on the piston crowns, use a good power LED pen or flashlight and FTW!



Originally Posted by snm95ls
Any good way to determine optimal ignition timing off of the dyno? I assume that reading the spark plugs alone will not yield optimum results. Is this correct?

If you define optimum as your engine doesn't come apart and you get 90%+ of possible power, then reading plugs works.

JonDouglas 07-22-2008 02:39 PM

Re: Ignition timing and piston rings...
 

Originally Posted by Joseph Davis
borescopes are needed for some cars where either the plug entry is at a wack ass angle or you can't stick your head in there (scooby) but for a normal B or D I wouldn't use a borescope even if I had one. Straight drop in on the piston crowns, use a good power LED pen or flashlight and FTW!


If you define optimum as your engine doesn't come apart and you get 90%+ of possible power, then reading plugs works.

Fair enough.

JD, thanks for the replies so far. I would buy your ass a beer, but I doubt I'll be out to the east coast any time soon.

Is watching the fuel consumption a good way gauging what the engine is wanting for ignition timing. Say you get the A/F stabilized to a safe range, add ignition timing and the A/F gets leaner. Add timing until this trend stops. If you add timing, and the A/F gets richer, then pull timing.

Is that correct?


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