Anyone have an approximate guide for retarding the ignition timing at the distributer based on boost or Hp or detonation? I see some people on here have 4 or 5 degree pulled. Isn't that much potentially damaging?

What actually determines a good setting for a reliable street car and not necessarily the highest Hp?

 

it depends on alot of things...

fuel in your area...
type of engine managment being used (ie FMU, Hondata/AEM/uberdata)

but rule of thumb was...on an FMU setup like gredy or drag....ive always pulled back TO 8 degrees base timing, some people say 10 is fine too...

the amount of retard on the timing is not as potentially damaging as Pinging/detonating with too much timing...

jackson racing SC say to set distributor to 8 degrees
greddy i beleive sets to 8 also

 

well i've got a d15b7 allmotor at the moment,

and my ignition timing is advanced as far as the dist will go(my cheapo way of getting around my ridiculously rich idle).

and so far so good,

only problem is my dizzy died out on me once,
but I think that was more from driving, and prolonged high revving than the timing.