NA I5 ignition timing

[ricematthews]

Graham:

>The lights I borrowed didn't have the correct fitting for my plugs so I
just
>retarded the distributor by what seemed to be a "nadge". Tried it and it
seems
>to have solved it,

I have found that frequently the best way to set the timing is "by ear".  I
typically advance it until it starts to miss and then retard it slightly
from that point.

>I was surprised to notice it being quicker, can performance be degraded
>noticably by having too much advance as well as too little?

Absolutely - the detonation (which causes pinging) is the result of the fuel
mixture in the cylinder igniting due to the pressure caused by compression.
This creates interference with the normal operation of the engine (where
ignition is initiated by the spark) which can reduce power and increase
emissions.

-Mark