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IGNITION TIMING

Ignition Timing is like picking color of your socks, if it goes well with what you are wearing, use it. If it's an ugly Pee-wee Herman type match, don't use it.

In other words it surely requires testing on Dyno with full instrumentation of quick reading head and exhaust temps. (Maybe a detonation sensor, if available to you). This is so you can pull the off switch quick as you get close and then past the optimum on dyno run, without nuking the engine. Peak power is just below this nuking point.

There is no particular timing that fits all engines of same make, model, and accessories either, because there is no two engines alike. (Read: hard to make 2 cylinders pump alike let alone 2 engines). 

You'll notice no two engine builders are using same timing either, why, because each engine combo is so different; pipe, compression, carbs and jetting, port timing, water temp, under hood temp, jet pump on watercraft, load on engine by different jet pump parts (or gearing in other vehicles), on and on. What works on theirs could fry yours.

Timing that is too far advanced is a sign of a poorly built engine. If the engine is pumping air and squeezing it right it won't need a Band-Aid of turning up the heat with Timing, ...it will make the right kind of heat by itself and Timing will just start the fire.

A Dyno, programmable computer ignition and a good Dyno operator are real secret. Suggest ignition build to the Torque curve, or stall tests at each specific rpm and bump timing to reach best torque at all points in rev range and the HP made will be greater too. For most builders by setting timing to make best heat every 250 rpm you should get the best power overall for how the engine was built.

Static timing with dial indicator is just relative to moving the whole curve on a modern engine, and you should be very careful doing it as it will then be wrong somewhere else on that curve . The right timing curve is what makes engines come alive. And there is no one optimum curve, again as the parts selected are all different in all hot-rod engines. Back to Dyno for more testing, especially if you again change a key part in this complex puzzle of engine building.

Just my opinion, you are welcome to yours.....

Tom E. Turner 

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