Advancing timing for low end torque

[RL7]

I want to make the car a little quicker off boost. I assume advancing ignition timing (via emanage) can achieve this to a certain extent. Is this common practice? I figure off-boost, the car is pretty unlikely to knock, so there should be a pretty wide window to advance timing. Would it slow turbo spool significantly? I kinda doubt it would make a whole lot of difference with 9bs. Any other downsides to doing this?

[RL7]

Just remembered that emanage blue can only retard timing... damn. Still would like to know if others have done this with standalones and such.

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

Just remembered that emanage blue can only retard timing... damn. Still would like to know if others have done this with standalones and such.

really? I'll have to double check but I have some areas of my map advanced. Is it doing nothing then?

[DocWalt]

I thought EMB could advance or retard timing. I never had one, so I don't know for sure. Maybe I'm mixing the capabilities of the EMU and the EMB.

[x2percentmilk]

I was under the impression that it can only retard as well, but cant seem to find anything to back it up.

[jbuhrman]

It'll knock

And you know this how?

[mb3000]

And you know this how?

Its quite simple really, everyone's ringleads are shit and any engine work/mods you have done are trash. :stewie:

[DocWalt]

It likely would knock. I could easily induce knock by using a higher gear and rolling into the throttle instead of shifting down. Even just going WOT would make it not knock. Good for the car? No, not at all, but easy enough to avoid. Retarding timing just makes it worse, it feels completely gutless. Honestly, if you want more off-boost power with 9b's.... Shift down and make it boost. :p

[HLxDrummer]

You can advance with the EMB. Really depends on your setup if it'll make more power. The factory map is probably pretty optimized but may be able to use a tiny bit more if your running 93 compared to 91. If your on E85 you need more timing/etc.

I would not recommend it unless you have mods/a tune that would require it, however, as low RPM/high load situations make knock easy to come by and advancing timing will just make it easier.

[Rocket]

To get more low end torque would mechanically advanced cams be more helpful than just advancing the spark timing? By moving the entirety of the timing forward you may get some more low end torque, but just advancing the spark I am not sure there would be much of a benefit. No idea on the knock with spark advance, seems you could push close to knock.

Brandon

[DocWalt]

Lou, did you advance or retard your low end timing? I can't remember which you said, lol.

This is where no replacement for displacement comes in... or free flowing heads, etc. The VR-4 has plenty of off-boost power, all things considered. Go drive a 2L car off-boost and you'll want to shoot your brains out.

[HLxDrummer]

Low engine speeds/load I had it advanced some WHEN I had the O2's pulled (since I leaned it out some), but low engine speed/high load had it retarded and richer.

Now with the O2s plugged in I just left it stock. Working on tuning high RPM/WOT though and hoping to advance it a bit :)

[Chris@Rvengeperformance]

I've got an ITC in my car.

Steve

tuning by just RPM would of course be difficult. with the EMB you have 16 load lines to choose from, in the higher loads run less timing.

[RL7]

Ah, I fixed my mivec and now the car pulls like a beast. Definitely no need for this now, spins the front 245s from a stop if I step on it and chirps 2nd and 3rd with the ATX. The mechanical cam change definitely makes a huge difference- less lift/duration = more low end torque.

As far as the EMB, my understanding was it intercepts the spark signal and could hold it (retard), but obviously not send it into the past (advance). I suppose if it retarded the signal by 355*, it might advance by 5*, but that seems a little, well.... retarded. Please correct me if I am wrong though.