My hardware is all in and pretty much finalized, and my fuel table is coming along nicely.

Next on my list is the spark table, but I don't really know what to do with that one. How do I know what is a good tune?

I can't hear detonation, mostly because I don't know what it sounds like (I've heard all the descriptions but I've never heard it while somebody said "That's it") but I probalby don't want to tune for detonation anyway.

I want mad powaz, with no risk of grenading the engine. I'm thinking about buying KnocksenseMS but is there some better way to tune the spark table without dyno time?

 

no

 

There are a lot of threads here on timing including a couple of good ones. Take a look at those.

 

I found a couple of the, and they suggest that you can't really tune spark without a dyno, but I don't understand why not. What does a dyno have/use/do that you can't do at home?

 

Really? Is the answer too obvious or something?

 

Besides a big rolling roller and fancy computer.
Do they have some kind of sensor they attach? I've never been to a dyno, so all I know is what you can see in the videos of the 10,000whp civics on youtube.

 

A load based dyno lets you "hold" the engine at a certain RPM. So say you want to tune spark at 1000 RPMs. You get on the load bearing dyno and they "hold" you at 1000 RPMs. Now, you can vary MAP values with the gas pedal and the RPMs wills stay the same because of the dyno. Now, you can vary timing values while holding that map value constant with your right foot and the dyno tells you what HP changes you are making.

Little different than driving.

 

Another thing to keep in mind is that the absolute highest timing without detonation doesn't necessarily give you the highest power. You need dyno time if you want power. There are safe ignition maps out there, but each setup is different. The smallest thing like where your spark plug wires is running or how the spark plug is pointed in the head can cause detonation on a highly tuned ignition map. Spend the few hundred dollars on dyno and do yourself and your engine a favor.

Happy tuninng
O.

 

My plan is to find someone really similar and then ask/beg/steal their spark maps... They may be even worth swapping $$ for ay.

I feel you though. You're not the only one thinking this way