Passing down experience and imparting knowledge - tuning ignition timing

Started by nordschleife, November 19, 2019, 07:12:02 PM

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nordschleife

I hope there is still some knowledge hanging around this forum to help me out.

As time marches on there seem to be fewer people around with the skills to tune a car with no ECU.  I enjoy my MK1s and have had them running really well over the years but it takes a very rare individual to care about getting the most from them.  K-Jet also takes some specialist knowledge and I plan to read more on that later. 

At this point I'd like to gather some knowledge and experience from those on here about how to set the ignition timing on a MK1 Golf GTI.  I've bought an adjustable timing light and have started reading about how to maximise performance - an example is here:

http://www.cabby-info.com/Files/AdjustingTheTiming.pdf

I've got a lot to learn but I thought I'd check to see if anyone has anything to share in setting one of these up.  I don't mean getting it running, I mean getting it running well.  Are there any secrets out there?
VW Golf GTI - Track Car
VW Golf GTI - Road Car
BMW ///M5 - Previous Car and looking for another - F10 LCI
Octavia vRS Combi - Wife's Car
VW Golf R32 - Sold

Gordo

These are my thoughts and opinions - sometimes I'm wrong, but not often ;-)

the phantom

Land Transport New Zealand, taking the fun out of driving since August 2008

nordschleife

Thanks, you have reminded me that we do have a book like that somewhere!  I'll have to dig it out.

The ignition is electronic - no points on my car although early MK1 GTIs did have points.
VW Golf GTI - Track Car
VW Golf GTI - Road Car
BMW ///M5 - Previous Car and looking for another - F10 LCI
Octavia vRS Combi - Wife's Car
VW Golf R32 - Sold

Pristle

That link you provide is one of the most concise and possibly best I've ever read. If you follow through with the steps detailed, you'll get a great feel for how it works. Then once set as described, the motor should be idling smoothly. Take the car for a spin. Then repeat the process of adjusting the dizzy, retarding and advancing the timing a bit. Drive and repeat. You'll get a better feel for it.

I remember having a lot of fun with cars that barely idled with timing advanced, but had astounding response to the pedal being depressed. Sadly the fuel bill too. It's advised to use highest available octane if you're going to play with advanced timing.

A moving coil voltmeter may serve better than a digital AVM, as the response is much better.