I have a question to all those who have advanced their timing as far as 28degs btdc. Has your fuel economy gone up? Do you actually have more power? Did you have to turn your idle setting down because the advance made it go up?
The reason I ask, and I am splitting hairs now, should'nt there be an optimal timing setting. As you know, there is a slight delay in ignition, we are talking milliseconds, and that has something to to with the cetane level of the fuel you are using. My understanding is you would want the main explosion to happen right at tdc, and all the punch from that bang to push the piston downward to get the most of the power from the fuel. My thought about alot of you advancing the timing a few degrees might be hurting the engine as in the ignition is happening to early and the piston working against itself trying to finish going up and then going down atc and loosing power, making noise and incomplete burn and increasing undo stess on the pistons, rods, and crank.
Of coarse MB designed the engines with high cetane in mind and getting high cetane fuel here in the USA is not practical. But how much advance is to much and are you really getting a benefit from it.
Any thoughts on this, with the high fuel prices I think all of us diesel owners should be trying to get the best possible fuel economy so that the oil companies don't keep our Mb's sidelined unable to drive them because we can't fill up.

Thanks
Peter
1984 300d 285k undergoing major rust repair