Setting ignition timing?

[nucleustylzlude]

Definitely worth getting the mapped checked out and tweaked as you say it was a little reserved. Who knows what you'll end up with but it's gonna be for competition eventually so I'd aim higher if possible. Most of the hard work is done by Taffy/Dino/Rich, tweaking of the existing map by someone who knows what they're doing should see some gains. As for adjusting the cams - it's a little bit of a dark art to me. I know you can move the powerband in the rev range, but retarding and advancing the different exhaust and inlet valves, sometimes causing overlap is a little beyond my knowledge. Definitely get someone who is familiar with Honda VTECs and the Hondata S300.

[Merlin]

I am not going to muck about with the cam gears as they control the opening of the valves. What I am interested in at the moment is when the spark is delivered in relation to the position of the piston/valves. If that isn't spot on I am loosing power I just want to make sure my setup is as good as when Dino's car left PAW.

[Bri]

@Bri after reading through old PUK threads it seems you are the man in the know. Care to comment? Pretty much all the posts on PUK said to put it to 15 BTDC.

I know how to set timing with a gun, I have a gun. All I do is bridge the diagnostic plug, get it to running temperature where fans come on, hook up the strobe to HT lead for cyl 1 and battery terminals and set it to 15 degrees TDC point and flash, if adjustment is required slacken the 3 12mm bolts just beyond finger tight and move until you get the line on the fly wheel between the v groove on the block. Ensure engine is ticking over between 750 and 820 RPM, some good strobe show on the display what the engine idle speed is like mine. If your timing is out adjust accordingly and nip up the bolts again, you will see an improvement.

Tale tale signs of incorrect engine timing can be excessive fuel consumption, low or high idle speeds, popping and banging when changing gears or pinking noises like a rattle, more noticeable at lower revs but it depends on which way the timing is out, either advanced or retarded. I check mine every few months. I think I did a better write up on PUK, if I can log in I will dig it out and paste it here later.

[Merlin]

Thanks for that. It confirms what I have read so far, put it to 15 BTDC

[Merlin]

Rich was kind enough to tell me how to set my timing with the Hondata system. Lets just say setting the timing on a stock car is way easier

[nucleustylzlude]

Care to enlighten us?

[Merlin]

You have to get a laptop with the Hondata SManager software and go into the program to tell the ECU to stop adjusting timing. Then you can set the timing manually with the distributor.

Hondata allow you to download the software so I am going to have a crack at it this weekend. While I am at it I am going to check if launch control is turned on

[nucleustylzlude]

Yeah, I've tinkered with mine alot. I thought you meant you could actually set the timing from the software. You just mean you need to turn off something before you manually adjust with the dizzy. Is that not the same as jumping the service connector then?

[Merlin]

The potential for drokk up is much higher but no guts no glory! Actually there is a major bonus of having to do it this way as the Hondata knows what the timing should be set to. When I go in it should say 16 BTDC, so I have to set it to 16

[Dino]

Also Al? Rich set-up the cam gears, so no need to fiddle with them.
It was one of the jobs id asked him to do as it hadnt been done beforehand