How can you tell using a timing light what actual degree advance/retard you're setting your ignition timing to ?

 

On your crank pulley the white mark is 0. The red mark is whatever Honda recomends for that particular engine. the two marks on either side of the red mark are + or -2 degrees.

 

what setting will yeild the most gain ?

is stock 15 ?

 

advancing ignition timing gives low

retarding gives high

if you want to really tune yout ignition timing instead of just cranking the distributor and living with a somewhat eh powerband

get your ecu chipped,
get an Apex-ITC
get some form of stand-alone engine management

I beleive i had discussed this with you before

 

I have installed the APEXi SITC into my 6th gen I4.

I also dyno tuned it... what's the maximum safest advance I could go with ? Right now, the maximum I have is +8degrees advance in the low end, and retard -4 in the high end...

however, I didn't really gain that much, only 1-2ft-lb of torque... I was using 94 octane and I'm pretty sure I didn't ping/knock...