How To Set Ignition Timing

Setting the timing on your engine is one of the most misunderstood adjustments, but the information on this video will help you understand and answer all of your questions about how to set ignition timing.

Ignition timing is typically read from a mark that’s on the harmonic balancer that’s on the front of the engine and the zero point represents top dead center from the number one cylinder between the compression and the power stroke. This zero mark will have been set by the factory on your engine or perhaps by the machine shop that built it for you, but it’s critical that that mark is set exactly at top dead center on cylinder number one.

Three aspects of ignition timing explained in this video:

• Idle Timing: The total ignition advance set when the ignition is idle.
• Total Ignition Timing: The greatest amount of advance that the engine achieves at higher RPM.
• Ignition Timing Curve: The rate at which the ignition timing advances between the initial timing and the total timing.