I'm asking for a friend...
Quote:
Does anyone have any information or locations for information on when to start retarding spark? My MSD will allow me to retard spark from 0 - 15 degrees in 1 degree increments starting at as low as 4000 rpm. I have always heard that for every 10 HP added you should retard 1 degree. But I'd really like to do some more reading..I just can't seem to find anywhere to read about it!
It's basically to help prevent knocking if the conditions are close to even be worried about. Example: If you're running at 12:1 compression ratio and running 93 octane pump gas (highest octane you can find at common gas stations) and for some reason the timing you're running is causing you to have some degree of knocking, you retard the timing to make ignition occur later which would result in more fuel to be left over which would act as a coolant in the combustion chamber.
Knocking is basically some type of detonation or you might know it as misfiring. Ignition is a controlled event and any time there is a "ignition" flame that has an uncontrollable event or explosion whether it's a small detonation or a large detonation that would cause engine failure, this is something to fight against because within a given period of time it will cause some type of damage.
They call it knocking when there is detonation occuring, there is some noise which could be some type of pinging or knocking inside the engine. The knock sensor is called that for a reason. The knock sensor senses noise louder than the typical ignition sound. And just to point out something even more about knock sensors, when they do detect knocking, it relays a signal to the computer which results in the computer retarding ignition timing.
Basically, retarding timing isn't for necessarily making power but for countermeasures and safety as far as the engine running properly. You shouldn't retard timing just because you think you should or like your friend say "1 degree = 10 HP" which is false. If your vehicle is setup good enough, advancing timing is the way to go and would gain you in power typically. It all varies from setup to setup.
Also understand that when it comes to engine performance and reliability, not one practice is good for every setup and engine. It's all circumstancial.
Hope this helped.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
He isn't doing it now, he just wants info on when someone should have to? Does that make sense? His MSD allows him to do it so he's looking for information on it for later down the road when he might add nitrous or some sort of boost. Know any websites that have information on the subject?
They should have to when they start detecting knocking.
Check out wikipedia.
www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837
