Timing

[midlifecrisis]

What exactly is it doing to the motor, by advancing the timing? Why does it seem like most of us advance it to +4, and not +3 or +5,6 etc.......?

[fastquad02blaster]

When you advance the ignition timing, it makes the plug spark sooner. They spark before the piston is at the top of the cylinder. This burns the air fuel mix more effeciently and makes more power. It makes more compression. More compression=more power to an extent.

[AKheathen]

yah, basically, it gets the burn started sooner, so the most powerful part of the burn happens durring the part of the stroke that can do the most work. stock, it's normally kept a little conserative because some are just gonna run any old fuel in there. the thing about advancing it, is that it also increases the amount of work needed to get to tdc. basically, you gain in the bottom/mid and loose in the top-end. +4 is generally what most find as a good ballance, but people do run different. i liked+5.5 on the stock cdi, and some run anywhere in the +12 to -7 range, from what i've seen