hokay ppl, I need someone to explain something for me.

I have an EL I6, which has a dizzy. (D'OH)

How is the advance/ retard controlled? I know the ECU has something to do with it, but does the ECU control the advance/retard, or is it done with weights (like the "old" style of dizzy)

Is it possible to recurve the dizzy without fiddling with the ECU, or installing an after-market ECU?

it is 100% controlled by the ecu. the distributor generates a signal(pip) which goes to the ecu and the tfi module. the ecu uses this signal to determine engine position and based on it's own parameters the ecu will generate a spout or spark out signal back to the tfi module telling it exactly when to spark. does that make sense?

in answer to your last question, no u cant manually recurve the distributor without fiddling with the ecu. u can however advance the base timing the old fashioned way which will change the reference point right across the whole rev range.

hope that helps

so you couldn't do like whats done with a shift kit and chuck some resistors and a switch to tell it to advance up a bit?

u can advance the timing by turning the distributor.

remapping it would be a whole different kettle of fish. there are several factors which control the advance/retard table such as load, rpm, throttle position etc. there's also the knock sensor so advancing it any more than a few degrees is pointless anyway.

So TaraHymen, this means basically that the coil is fired by the ECU ?.

TFI =? I guess that the TFI is the grey thingy on the side of the distributor?

Now, back in the old days, when you timed a car, you advanced the dist. until it pinged, and then backed it off a tad. I guess, with all the anti knock stuff, this now cannot be done?

I have since taken a dist apart (courtesy of my local wrecker) and I see there is nothing inside except what seems to ba a Hall sensor and pickup. No springs, no nuthin'!

So, the TFI gets info from the ECU regarding throttle position, manifold pressure, rpm, sends a message to the coil, which then fires on cue.