Hi!
I have been wondering, has anybody ever fiddled with the FIRE 60 ignition timing?
Lately I've been wondering how much more efficiency/power I can pull out of my beloved but tired 280k kilometer Punto engine. Since I'm all out of ridiculous ideas such as magical fuel filters, additives, or unicorn powder in the oil, I have though out some more bold ideas that could make me get more mileage or performance (or who knows, both!) out of my Punto.
The very first experiment I did was to advance the camshaft by about a tooth (~ 11 degrees?) which eventually led me to a nice result being that the engine lost a (noticeable) bit of torque, and in exchange, revs very well and pulls nicely at cruise speeds (~ 140kph). However this is not that much of a change, and came at the cost of a bit higher fuel consumption (from the usual 5.5 L/100km it used to make, to an average 6L/100Km).
The second experiment, which I have previously tested on my other Punto, was tyre sizes. To my amazement, the tyres don't play that big a part in fuel consumption, or at least not as much as the weight of the wheels. I've tried 165/70 R14 tyres on steelies, then went to 195/50 R15 on Borbet As. I have also previously tested my 195/45 R16 on Rota Grid Drifts. The only time I did have an increase in fuel consumption, which was not that bad considering the awful loss in brake performance and acceleration, was with 195/45 R16 on Stilo wheels.
So, despite the fact that the car is pretty economical already, I still think there's room for gains to be had, which brings me to two modifications that a few people have already done: One being the Punto 75 camshaft, which sounds pretty much like a dull try without a proper remap. And the other one, is tuning the ignition timing.
Now I wonder, has anybody ever fiddled with this? What would you guys reckon is a safe increase in timing advance? I know there's slight risk due to the fact that the Punto has a knock sensor, and I usually have a good ear for it as well, but the risk is there. Any guesses/numbers?
Cheers!
I have been wondering, has anybody ever fiddled with the FIRE 60 ignition timing?
Lately I've been wondering how much more efficiency/power I can pull out of my beloved but tired 280k kilometer Punto engine. Since I'm all out of ridiculous ideas such as magical fuel filters, additives, or unicorn powder in the oil, I have though out some more bold ideas that could make me get more mileage or performance (or who knows, both!) out of my Punto.
The very first experiment I did was to advance the camshaft by about a tooth (~ 11 degrees?) which eventually led me to a nice result being that the engine lost a (noticeable) bit of torque, and in exchange, revs very well and pulls nicely at cruise speeds (~ 140kph). However this is not that much of a change, and came at the cost of a bit higher fuel consumption (from the usual 5.5 L/100km it used to make, to an average 6L/100Km).
The second experiment, which I have previously tested on my other Punto, was tyre sizes. To my amazement, the tyres don't play that big a part in fuel consumption, or at least not as much as the weight of the wheels. I've tried 165/70 R14 tyres on steelies, then went to 195/50 R15 on Borbet As. I have also previously tested my 195/45 R16 on Rota Grid Drifts. The only time I did have an increase in fuel consumption, which was not that bad considering the awful loss in brake performance and acceleration, was with 195/45 R16 on Stilo wheels.
So, despite the fact that the car is pretty economical already, I still think there's room for gains to be had, which brings me to two modifications that a few people have already done: One being the Punto 75 camshaft, which sounds pretty much like a dull try without a proper remap. And the other one, is tuning the ignition timing.
Now I wonder, has anybody ever fiddled with this? What would you guys reckon is a safe increase in timing advance? I know there's slight risk due to the fact that the Punto has a knock sensor, and I usually have a good ear for it as well, but the risk is there. Any guesses/numbers?
Cheers!
