Improving fuel economy or gaining horsepower means making the engine more efficient. Fuel economy or maximum power is only obtainable when the correct air/fuel mixture or ratio (a richer mixture for ...

Ignition timing is typically split into three types. The first is initial timing—that is, the amount of spark lead that is set using a timing light (aimed at the harmonic balancer) with the engine at ...

Precise ignition timing is essential for high-performance engine tuning and ensuring your small-block or big-block is delivering every horsepower within its capability. Since the era of poodle skirts, ...

Without a solid spark your gasoline car will feel lazy, and your wallet will be empty. Optimizing your ignition is an easy and rewarding task that is not being taught to late model enthusiasts, so let ...

Editor's Note: Way back in March of 1998, GMHTP ran "Opti-Spark" by Ray Bohacz, an engineering-level dissection of GM's Opti-Spark distributor. This evolutionary ignition component was a bridge ...

The ignition control module is a crucial component of a vehicle's ignition system. It is a control unit responsible for regulating the ignition timing and generating sparks to ignite the fuel-air ...

Older vehicles with distributor-based ignition systems need their timing checked on a regular basis, otherwise you can have a host of problems. Starting becomes difficult, idling will be rough, ...

Q: A question from your August 2007 issue got me thinking. A guy with a Kia Sportage asked where the spark plugs and spark plug wires on this car were, and was told that this car did not have a ...

underway before tdc is reached. This gives a maximum cylinder pressure (and work output). This ignition timingcondition is about 20 degrees of crank rotation before tdc, i.e. 20 degrees btdc. From, ...

The automotive ignition system is an incredibly amazing machine that has evolved for more than 100 years already and continues to evolve as the demand drives the need to develop more efficient engines ...