[Diy_efi] small engine spark timing

[Robert W Hughes]

> I'm now the proud owner of a 1987 Case/Ingersoll 444 garden tractor.
> I'm giving it a much needed tuneup, which includes replacing the
> condensor with a transistorized ignition module.  Well, that got me to
> thinking about advance curves...  The points are driven by the camshaft
> (single cylinder Kohler motor), and are kept to trigger the module.  The
> module I'm buying won't have any advance but it wouldn't be that hard to
> design one that did.  Can these little motors benefit from some kind of
> advance?

If this Kohler is like mine (16hp K34(?) in a 310 Bobcat) the timing is 
set by the point gap and the adjustment is very touchy, must be done 
with the engine running as opposed to a feeler gauge. A little reduction 
in timing can result in a noticeably large loss of power also.

These engines are usually used in a constant speed/load situation like a 
tractor and so can run fixed timing for this load. The Kohler also has a 
builtin compression release to ease starting.

If you get this to work well, I would be interested in hearing what you 
did, mine gives continual point problems.
-- 
Robert W. Hughes (Bob)
BackYard Engineering
29:40.237N, 95:28.726W or perhaps 30:55.265N, 95:20.590W
Houston, Texas "The city with too much Oxygen"
rwhughe at oplink.net