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Re: Plug gap, timing, and boost, Oh my! (long) 2 Saabers Like This Post! Posted by Landjet [Email] (#16) [Profile/Gallery] (more from Landjet) on Fri, 14 Apr 2017 14:42:43 In Reply to: Re: Plug gap, timing, and boost, Oh my! (long), Simon S, Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:09:54 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I see all the valid points SimonS has made. Here is what I find helpful for tuning the engine when in the stock condition:
Set the plugs at .024 - they will wear/open up as time goes on
Use bougicord wires
Use bosch cap and rotor
Use NGK plugs, the ES 7 for the turbo
Use the best gas you can find
Set timing at 16 to start, go to 18.
CHECK your boost retard capsule -- find a way to apply say 10 psi ( not much more than that ) and watch the timing retard. Your timing should retard about 10 degrees when the boost comes on ( ie the 10 psi )
If the boost retard capsule is inop or timing doesn't retard, you'll have knock on high boost.
While you are at it, since cam timing is essential, you might check to see what the chain tensioner is reading by following the Bentley -- if it is over the 11 mm, a sign of chain stretch or wear, that affects how the engine performs.
What I've found is that these engines in stock form can produce 175 hp with barely doing anything.......185hp with a few small changes, add 10 hp with some more stuff.....
If you're hunting for 250hp, then you need quite a bit of parts and skills to incorporate them in harmony. If your hunting for 400hp, you'll need spare gearboxes.
By the way, I run 34 degrees of timing in my 8 valve, it has a mechanical advance distributor that comes on about 4K RPM, it is amazing what that can do to wake it up. That is about when the boost taper starts to set in, the stock turbo is about out of steam after 4K. I have a mechanical advance distributor in my LH2.4 that comes in at 4K puts back in the 10 degrees that the boost retard takes out. It acts like a kick in the pants when it comes alive. You'll need water injection for that application, yet another system that offers challenges.
So, in the end, just do the T5 that SimonS mentions :-) But, in the meantime, do what you are doing......it's a good learning process to experiment with these details so you can determine what helps make performance and what doesn't.
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