Ignition timing is an often-misunderstood concept that has a big effect on performance. An air/fuel mixture burn rate doesn't increase in direct proportion to engine rpm. Therefore, the faster the ...

Ignition timing is typically split into three types. The first is initial timing—that is, the amount of spark lead that is set using a timing light (aimed at the harmonic balancer) with the engine at ...

Welcome back for Part 2 of tune-up tips for your older Corvette. Last time we talked about tricks of the trade when setting points. This month we will talk about setting ignition timing. The most ...

What Does the Timing Belt or Timing Chain Do? On a conventional piston engine — which is found in virtually all modern passenger cars — the up-and-down motion of the pistons turn the crankshaft, and ...

Ignition timing is like seasoning: some is good, but too much ruins the results. Bumping up the ignition timing on pushrod 5.0s is a time-honored trick to wake up the under-hood lump. The EFI system ...

You just put your new crate engine together and your adrenaline is pumping. Pump the throttle, turn the key, and… the thing runs like a total dog. It idles fine, but as soon as you step on the ...

We must first understand what each of these two systems does for a car. They both serve the same purpose, which is to coordinate the movement of the crankshaft as well as the camshaft(s) so that the ...