# Advanced timing



## nissan98se (Sep 13, 2004)

Just a quick question about timing advancement. Has anyone done it (stupid question), and if so was it a driveway mod? Are there any downsides to doing this? I.e. crappier gas mileage or sooner wear on engine parts? I heard it was considered 'free horsepower', though you had to use a higher octane gas or something bad would happen. All in all im trying to figure out if its actually worth the time spent or not. I appreciate any feedback. Thanks


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## payk (May 5, 2004)

you got to use 91+ octane gas or else engine will knock (not a good thing)
its free hp


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## nizzan4u2nv (Apr 14, 2004)

Aww cmon, theres probably about 200 topics on advance timing. Yes you will gain hp from advancing your timing. You should have put this in a forum pertaining your motor.


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## azkicker0027 (May 31, 2002)

when i started modding my car, gas mileage was already dismissed out the door. you've got to compromise somewhere.


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## RivStar (Sep 5, 2004)

payk said:


> you got to use 91+ octane gas or else engine will knock (not a good thing)
> its free hp


you can safely set your timing to like 10 degrees if i'm right and yes you'd have to use a higher octane gasoline... 

i dunno about the knocking noise tho i've never tried it with 87 octane before... does anybody here by chance know why exactly higher octane has to be used, like the technical aspects of it all i mean... i just know i have to use higher octane but don't quite understand it fully...


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

RivStar said:


> you can safely set your timing to like 10 degrees if i'm right and yes you'd have to use a higher octane gasoline...


its 15 on 91 octane or higher
.

why does everyone miss the obvious helper :cheers: 
http://www.sentra.net/tech/garage/engine.php#Timing

go to that sites, it will be your best friend along with www.nissanperformancemag.com


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## RivStar (Sep 5, 2004)

oh yeah... HAHA... that's what i meant... stock timing setting is 10 degrees... hehe my bad...


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## Nismo1997 (Dec 26, 2003)

psuLemon said:


> its 15 on 91 octane or higher
> .
> 
> why does everyone miss the obvious helper :cheers:
> ...


^^he is right...all u really need are those to site to pretty much cover the car...and if ur still not sure search..if nothing then ask


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## ltcassio (May 7, 2004)

waiiiit, the stock timing on the GA16 is 10 +/- 2, but the stock on the SR20 is 15 +/- 2, so if you're going to advance your timing, do it accordingly. I have a question, btw. See, I just got me hands on a timing light and I want to advance my timing. Since the timing is 15 BTDC, do I advance it to like 8-10 to get power? or do I "advance" it to 18-20 BTDC? help?


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## Nostrodomas (Jun 15, 2002)

ltcassio said:


> Since the timing is 15 BTDC, do I advance it to like 8-10 to get power? or do I "advance" it to 18-20 BTDC? help?


You advance it to 18-20.


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## jmann98 (Aug 20, 2004)

You can try different settings, and choose what you want. Run your tank down to empty, then fill it with 91/92 octane before experimenting. You should use at least 89 octane for 17 degrees (91/92 to be on the safe side), and 91/92 for 19 degrees. Running above 19 is not recommended by anyone, really. Most folks choose 17. 19 is technically out of the spec range for the SR20DE engine, so 17 is probably safer. Running at 19 will probably feel faster than 17, but technically, when looking at the whole rpm band, I don't believe it makes any more horsepower. 

Other things to note. Gains may be deminished in 90+ degree heat. By the seat of my pants, I wouldn't agree, but that's been mentioned several times before. And your gains won't be 8-10 hp. You'll be lucky to get 6 compared to timing at 13 degrees, less compared to 15. But you should feel the difference. I took mine from 17 with 91 down to 15 with 87, and I could feel a difference. 

Truth: Higher octanes must be used when advancing timing becuse they burn faster. 
My guess: By burning faster, they can accomodate this change of when the spark is introduced into the combustion chamber. 

For fun, check out http://auto.howstuffworks.com/engine.htm Also read up on timing and your throttle cable at http://www.geocities.com/n_dahi/ Actually, read the whole site.

'97 SE-R with timing set at 17 degrees, running 91 octane


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## lshadoff (Nov 26, 2002)

jmann98 said:


> Truth: Higher octanes must be used when advancing timing becuse they burn faster.
> My guess: By burning faster, they can accomodate this change of when the spark is introduced into the combustion chamber.


The higher the octane, the slower it burns. As timing advances, the spark is fired sooner and sooner. It fires while the piston is on the way up. If it burns too fast, combustion pressure rises too fast and tries to push the piston back (ping or knock). By burning slower, the spark can be advanced and the slower burning allows the piston to move further before pressure builds in the cylinder (no ping/knock).

Lew


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## BikerFry (Jul 31, 2003)

ltcassio said:


> waiiiit, the stock timing on the GA16 is 10 +/- 2, but the stock on the SR20 is 15 +/- 2, so if you're going to advance your timing, do it accordingly. I have a question, btw. See, I just got me hands on a timing light and I want to advance my timing. Since the timing is 15 BTDC, do I advance it to like 8-10 to get power? or do I "advance" it to 18-20 BTDC? help?


Your profile says you have an SE, which means you have a GA16. Even on 91+ octane, *if you advance past 15* BTDC you're going to need a new engine* after pinging/knock/detonation/pre-ignition (all different names for the same thing) ruins your engine. Plus it's been dyno proven to gain nothing past 15* Before Top Dead Center. I believe SR20's shouldn't go past 19*, just FYI.


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## nissan98se (Sep 13, 2004)

BikerFry said:


> Your profile says you have an SE, which means you have a GA16. Even on 91+ octane, *if you advance past 15* BTDC you're going to need a new engine* after pinging/knock/detonation/pre-ignition (all different names for the same thing) ruins your engine. Plus it's been dyno proven to gain nothing past 15* Before Top Dead Center. I believe SR20's shouldn't go past 19*, just FYI.


Yep, I got the GA16 in the engine bay. So 15 degrees with no less than 91 eh? sounds good. Ill try and get this done within the next week to see, kind of interested to see what results I get. I had someone 'advance the timing' on one of my other cars and the idiot ended up turning my engine into a filet mignon, well done. This time ill do it myself.. Thanks for the input -


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## Sazbot (Sep 27, 2004)

hmm. i must be a little lucky here in new zealand.... the petrol here is 91 and 96 octane, and if i travel a little bit i can get 98 octane.
if i advance my timeing to 15 is 96octane better than 91 (probabilly a stupid question) because i have easy acces to 96 octane, what is the most advancing i can do to the timing (well... the safest).
thanks
Cory


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## CHRIS/SR/SE (Dec 15, 2003)

ltcassio said:


> waiiiit, the stock timing on the GA16 is 10 +/- 2, but the stock on the SR20 is 15 +/- 2, so if you're going to advance your timing, do it accordingly. I have a question, btw. See, I just got me hands on a timing light and I want to advance my timing. Since the timing is 15 BTDC, do I advance it to like 8-10 to get power? or do I "advance" it to 18-20 BTDC? help?




If you took it to 8-10 deg. you would be retarding it, you want to advance it to like 17-19, I asked the same question about three weeks ago. This is where I was sent:Naja Dahi's website Mind you this is only for the SR20DE.


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## CHRIS/SR/SE (Dec 15, 2003)

lshadoff said:


> The higher the octane, the slower it burns. As timing advances, the spark is fired sooner and sooner. It fires while the piston is on the way up. If it burns too fast, combustion pressure rises too fast and tries to push the piston back (ping or knock). By burning slower, the spark can be advanced and the slower burning allows the piston to move further before pressure builds in the cylinder (no ping/knock).
> 
> Lew



Thank you, someone had to say it.


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## pete? (Jul 6, 2004)

lshadoff said:


> The higher the octane, the slower it burns. As timing advances, the spark is fired sooner and sooner. It fires while the piston is on the way up. If it burns too fast, combustion pressure rises too fast and tries to push the piston back (ping or knock). By burning slower, the spark can be advanced and the slower burning allows the piston to move further before pressure builds in the cylinder (no ping/knock).
> 
> Lew


you know i acually never really knew what ping or knock ment. that was very helpful thanks


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## Jopet (Aug 10, 2009)

Ok guys, this seems to be the right thread. My engine is pinging and the timing setting is correct, @8deg. I just removed the distributor to check if everything is ok and cleaned it up. I have a B14 GA16DE a/t. 
At this setting the engine pings on light throttle press and goes away when the pedal is pressed further down. Pinging continues thought when the pedal is pressed lightly and kept there, even at around 25mph. When I tried to set back the timing, at the point that it does not ping anymore, it gets retarded. I replaced my distributor about a year ago with a reman. The old one had a problem with the module. When cold and up to a few minutes on running temp, it does not ping. 
I really could not hear anything going on with the engine before I replaced my chain tensioner. 
Could it be the heat? bad gas? distributor? (someone did suggest that the distributor was busted again). I also just checked my spark plugs to over heating, they're ok.

Right now the car does run great. It's actually faster than ever but Im afraid that the engine might be sufferring. Oh yeah, at high rpms, about 4800+(estimate, have no tach) the engine stubbles, feels like a rev limiter where the rev goes up and down. You have to ease back on the gas pedal to get the engine to run right. 
Next fill up I'm going to another gas station. Might put in higher octane.
Any input is welcomed. thanks


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## Jopet (Aug 10, 2009)

Update, I added chevron to a full tank of gas, it didnt do anything to the pinging but it, I think. eliminated the top end stuttering of the engine. 
I did start using 93 octane and that eliminated the pinging. the car runs great but my milages seems to go further down. probably averaging @15mpg. My last 10 gallons was about 90% highway, ran only 200 miles.


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