Anyone have one of these or experience with one? Was wondering if its worth the extra money. For those who are unfamiliar, it is a distributor that allows you to adjust cylinder timing by each cylinder (ie #1 29 deg BTDC, #4 32 deg BTDC).

 

Why pray tell would you want to individually adjust spark timing for each cylinder?

JMC

 

More hp.

 

Seems the potential to make things AFU is higher than the actual gain you actually could receive IMO

 

Ok, I am all for more HP but how do you adjust each cylinder to create more hp? What tool tells you that one cylinder needs more advance than the other?

JMC

 

Well from what I have read so far on it, its kind of older technology. It started back in 1992 with some NASCAR teams. Since every cylinder isn't exactly the same compression wise and efficiency wise, that means each cylinder has a different point at which detonation starts. In a regular distributor all of the cylinders are set at one particular timing degree. The new system allows you to "custom" tune each cylinder. From what I read, all you need is a feeler guage to adjust. There are 8 magnets for each cylinder (V8). As far as determining how you know at what point each cylinder starts to detonate, I have no idea. Thats why I was asking if anyone in here had heard of it or had experience with it. I wish I could find an electronic copy of the article. It is in the October 2003 copy of Circle Track. The system is expensive, $870 for the distributor alone, plus you have to have two interface boxes. Nextel Cup cars use these, along with other racing leagues that limit what you can do to your engine.

 

Unless you are looking for that last ounce of power like pro racers I don't think you will get enoughhp out of it to justify the cost or the effort to adjust it.

JMC

 

Yeah its not really practical for street use, but in certain racing classes where you are limited to what types of C.R.s, heads, intakes, etc... it is probably worth it. I read how it reduced stress on the engine by 20% as well. Its a pretty technical way of getting power, interesting though. The article also mentioned how they experimented with running different compression ratios in different cylinders, as well as advancing the timing on one side of the engine, and retarding it on the other to make more power. They didnt go into detail as to how it would make more power or affect the engine.

 

Yeah it sounds like indexing spark plugs. Big hassle for miniscule power gains. Just my $.02.