Effect of Ignition Timing on Coolant Temperature?

[Swarzkopf]

Was playing with my timing today via the global spark adder in the Tweecer (for you non-Tweecgeeks, it's the equivalent of spinning your distributor).

Anyway, I normally run around with 14* of timing (value of "4" in global spark adder w/dizzy set at 10*)...

Today, I took it up to 16* (by giving the gsa a value of "6"). No ping at all. Car felt strong! So I took it up to 18* the same way.

Again, no ping at all and the car pulled stronger than at 14*...but, it was running hotter. Not overheating, but on the highway at 75MPH (~2400 RPMs for me) the car was at the halfway point on the stock temperature gauge...driving in some traffic on a local road, it stayed there as well.

So I changed tunes on the fly and took timing back down to 14* just to see what would happen, and sure enough the temperature went back down to where it normally is (around the "N").

Was this purely coincidence, or are they related?

Can I keep timing at 18* without hurting anything? The car felt nice.

Feedback appreciated as always.

 

[BlueOvalStangGT]

Subscribing.

 

[Synned]

How does your car usually run on the 'N' in the middle of pittsburgh...my car sticks in the middle. It was 105* today!

 

[Swarzkopf]

In Pittsburgh!? It wasn't 105 today! More like 90...?

I replaced the radiator in the spring with a nice Visteon piece and run a 180* thermostat...stays nice and cool.

 

[gcomfx.com]

Interesting.... that is the last thing I bumped up on my car when it started running hotter. Hmmmmm.....

 

[WhiteDevil]

Why do people even use the Global spark adder? The whole reason you buy a tuner is so you can custom make your spark table. And adding global spark is just like twisting the dizzy. Do yourself a favor and put ur global back to stock and then add timing in your spark_base_table. That allows you to add timing in the WOT range and keep stock timing when you are driving normally.

 

[BlackVert]

i think it makes sense. the spark fires earlier so it burns longer in the cylinder, which could very well mean higher temps.

 

[HISSIN50]

There is almost always detonation inside the cylinders - the tiny bit we never hear is normal. When we advance too far or light off the mix too soon, we start to hear detonation.

Detonation (especially the audilble variety) by nature is chaotic and the worse it gets, the higher temps go (there are shockwaves generated by the opposing forces and dynamic at hand).

Are you sure you could hear detonation easily (no monster exhaust, etc)?

 

[Swarzkopf]

Why do people even use the Global spark adder? The whole reason you buy a tuner is so you can custom make your spark table.

No, the whole reason I bought a tuner was so that I could adjust my torque converter functions, shift points, and line pressure. I also wanted to delete my EGR and AIR systems...at this point I have zero interest in learning spark tables. But thanks for the concern.

i think it makes sense. the spark fires earlier so it burns longer in the cylinder, which could very well mean higher temps.

That's what I was thinking too, but I wanted to hear others opinions also...seems to make perfect sense that way to me...

Are you sure you could hear detonation easily (no monster exhaust, etc)?

My exhaust is rumbly, but with 3-chamber Flowmaster 50s it's not too loud, plus I've heard mild detonation plenty of times on other cars...I'm pretty positive there was no audible detonation- plus, in the other cars I've been in, you could "feel" the pinging. Not so with this car at 18*, it pulled smooth and hard.

Ah well, left at 14* and commuted with it today adn it ran nice and cool. When I go back to the track someday I'll try it n/a at 18*.

 

[WhiteDevil]

No, the whole reason I bought a tuner was so that I could adjust my torque converter functions, shift points, and line pressure. I also wanted to delete my EGR and AIR systems...at this point I have zero interest in learning spark tables. But thanks for the concern.

Good point im sure that with an auto the TwEECer functions could be really useful. All im saying is that you now have the ability to play with the timing table which is also pretty much the easiest part of using the tweecer.

 

[kruegs74]

Thats funny because now that you mention that I bumped mine up from 10 to 14 last week for the first time and I have noticed higher temps lately. Mine will go about 3/4 of the way up after a full throttle pull through the gears. Could be just the weather though, its been in the mid 90s lately here in wisconsin.

 

[Swarzkopf]

Sounds like a couple of you have had the same experience as me....so while it's not scientific to say it, I think it's safe to say that ignition timing does have an effect on coolant temperature....

 

[Black95GTS]

Mine did the same thing pre-TwEECer. Soon as I twisted the dizzy it went from N to between O and R.

I ran 14 degrees total on 89 octane with no pinging. 180 degree t-stat.

Adam