Does anyone have any advice on advancing the timing on a 3rd Gen Teg with a B18B? I've read a little on the internet so far in regards to the procedure on how to advance it. It sounds like the factory specs are 14-18 degrees before TDC and that it's set at 16 degrees from the factory. My timing belt was replaced in May 2008 and my brother thinks that my timing was set too low by the Acura mechanic, but still in spec. Were gonna check it out with a timing light this week, but I was wanting any info from anyone who advanced it to 18 degrees.

It sounds like premium fuel is recommended for the advance. I'm aware of the potential drawbacks of the advance, but has anyone had any major mechanical issues with the longevity of their engine while still having their timing within spec at 18 degrees? My brother was getting really crappy gas mileage and power out of his VW Jetta 1.9L TDI which also recently had a timing belt replaced a few months ago at the VW dealer. He checked his timing and it was within spec but was on the low end and was retarded. He advanced the timing to the upper end of spec and is getting much better power and efficiency from the car. Any ideas or comments?

 

i've personally seen no major differences with advancing the timing like that with a b18b, especially a obd2 equipped one. if its a 94-95 b18b then sure it might help a bit, but the obd2 ones tend to somehow negate the effects of advancing the timing. also, remember that the b18b's dont have knock sensors, so if you're knocking, nothing (except your trained ears) is going to stop you from keeping your engine from pinging and knocking if you happen to advance it too much or not use the correct octane

 

It's also worth mentioning that your friend's TDI is by definition far more tolerant of pre-ignition than a petrol engine.
I would not use his example to justify tinkering with the OEM timing.

 

I drove my '92 civic (obd-1) for a day with the timing advanced considerably, not on purpose. I noticed a decrease in power at lower rpms and maybe (could've just seemed this way since it lost low-end torque) just a bit more hp up top, last 500rpms or so. My compression is lower than a Bseries, and I was running 87 octane, not sure if it would have mattered though. I don't believe it was fully advanced, but not far from it.

 

So me and my brothers checked the iginition timing on my '95 LS and my brothers '97 LS. My timing was retarded to around 14 degrees before TDC but still within the acceptable spec for the Teg. My brothers car was advanced to approximately 20-22 degrees before TDC. He had a mechanic buddy do his timing belt back in Jan 08 and he must have not set the timing right. We advanced mine to around 17 degrees and retarded his back to 17 degrees. Driving home on the highway, I noticed an increase in power in 5th gear from 60mph and above. The car used to struggle a bit, especially going up steep grades, unless I was going 75 mph or more. We'll see how the car does on gas mileage and see if it increases a bit. It's tough to tell the power difference without a dyno run before and after, but at part throttle in high gear, the car feels like its got a little more than before. There are good articles on the internet on how to adjust the timing and there's also good info in the Haynes repair manual that I frequently reference for info.