>Is having this knob advanced all the way going to adversely effect my
engine
>in the long run?
As long as the engine is not pinging. Are you using higher octane fuel?
>Can someone please explain to me on layman's terms what I
>have just done?
Generally, advancing the ignition timing will improve performance. By
igniting the air fuel mixture before the piston get to the top of the
stroke, you allow it to get a headstart on burning, by the time the piston
does reach tdc and starts back down on the power stroke, the burning
air/fuel mixture is in *full burn mode*(new technical term). If it ignites
at tdc or slightly after, the piston will be part way down the power stroke
before the air/fuel mixture is in *full burn mode* and waste power. Advance
it to far, to the point that the engine pings and you can do damage. If it
gets into *full burn mode* while the piston is on the way up pieces of
piston will generally exit the engine via the exhaust port. Increasing
timing usually also requires the use of higher octane fuels to help fight
detonation. Rule of thumb is to advance the timing until you can hear
pinging, then back it off one or two degrees. For your car one click on the
vac advance equals one degree of timing.
MikeC
|