[rotrex]

If you advance and you both get no knock and power rises in manner you feel it, your have not hit MBT.
If power stops rising in a way you feel it, but still no knock, stop advancing, even go back a tad. If you don't feel power rising, any extra power won't mater for street use or track days anyhow.

you won't get to MBT this way, but within a few %. So forget chasing the last 10HP on a 400 HP engine that is not knock limited (no knock before MBT) on the street.

Only on a dyno, best a engine or hub dyno, you can observe the function of advance vs. power/torque for any given rpm.

If you have a very good street dyno software, you may come close if you have a suitable flat and straight road without enforcement.


On the street unless there is no speed limit, you will not generate the heat you do on track.
So if you street map, but intend to hit a track, pull timing at higher intake air temps and bring a laptop to the track to correct if knock occurs.

PS I use a J&S safeguard knock control system with display. This helps a lot as it reacts very fast and reduces loads a lot shall the combustion go haywire.