Tuning O2sensor Knock Sensor Engine Damage

[Orin Eman]

> > Now, detonation will
> > 'appen and do the most damage at peak torque, however, ALL engines (read
> > Every and ALL) work at their best with just a little bit of detonation.
> > The trick is, it to let the engine detonate just a little bit, giving
> > peak torque, but not let it detonate so much as to do damage. The
> > wonders of R&D. 
> >

> This sounds suspect. My street car (10.4:1 compression) detonates 
> just a touch at WOT on 93 octane. If what you are saying is true, I 
> would loose torque (and therefore power) if I ran AVGAS. 

I don't think so.  The above doesn't say anything about octane.
It merely implies that an engine will produce peak torque when
there is a little detonation.  You put AVGAS in without retuning
for that octane, you won't get the peak torque that you could
get if you retuned.

That's what knock sensors do!  Put regular gas in my car, it retards
timing for little or no knock.  Put premium in, it advances timing
up to the point of knock, do I get more torque?  You bet.

You are making the invalid assumption that your engine cannot handle
more timing and hence produce more torque if you use higher octane.
Just because it cannot do it in stock form doesn't invalidate the
statement that you get peak torque if the engine detonates just a little.

Orin.