ok, here is my question...i have heard, advance timing between 12 and 14 degrees so that when combustion happens it doesnt put so much stress on bearings and journals, that way your rod absorbs more stress. so does that mean, advance your crank 12-14 degrees or does that mean just advance timing through the distributor? it seems right to me to advance the crank so that 1 and 4 are not all the way up when combustions occurs, which would then take stress off of bearings/journals and put it on rods. let me know what you guys know. thanks

 

every two degrees on the camshaft/dizzy is 1 on the crank. I'd rather keep the stress on the bearings if thats the only reason why you're advancing your timing, they're far cheaper to replace (but usually its too late when youo know they're gone). Not to mention its the bearings job to get nailed with stress.

 

bizzzump

 

You logic is a bit awkward. It doesn't matter which one you advance (it's the same thing), but let me tell you that advancing the distributor is a hell of a lot easier than trying to advance the crank.

Factory spec ignition timing is usually 16 degrees BTDC +/- 2 degrees (degrees are specified in crankshaft degrees, not camshaft degrees). It's standardized to crankshaft degrees b/c it's easier to mentally reference your ignition timing to the crankshaft's timing.

As for the wear and tear issue....it's not significant enough to stress about. Besides, there are other things affected by ignition timing that could be much more detrimental if you did run the ignition timing at 12-14 degrees BTDC...like EGT, gas mileage, and emissions.

Run it according to spec and don't worry about trying to re-engineer that aspect of the engine.

 

thanks for that input. see i rebuilt the motor and its no timed great yet. i read that **** about timing in High Performance Honda Builders Handbook by Joe Petit....very good **** to read, gives alot of info...and did not quit understand that part...so thanks..
p.s. i would recommend his books to everyone there is a volume one and two

 

That kinda stuff is ideal theory. Never happens in real life...we just wish it did.

Thermal efficiency and engine wear would significantly improve if the ideal were the real case.

Ideally you want to run as little ignition advance as possible to make the most power, but in real life, you tune to use the most ignition advance possible without detonating under teh highest foreseeable load.

 

They are not really the same. If you advance the crank and not the cams you'd be retarding the cam timing and therefore the ignition timing. If you advanced the crank and the cams there would be no diff in timing bec you advanced them the same amount. You have to do it through the distributor without touching the crank. Loosen the dist bolt and turn it toward the fire wall. That will advance the timing. Mike

 

thanks again for the input, truly appreciated

 

They can be equivalent. You're just moving one object's phasing relative to another.

You're saying the same thing that I was, only in more detail. My wording's just a little funkier. I used a couple of incorrect terms.

But you are right that advancing the crank retards ignition timing.


[Modified by IN VTEC, 9:06 PM 3/25/2003]