Using vacuum to tune a timing table??????

[devind]

Using vacuum to tune a timing table??????

I have been lurking around this site for the last couple of months trying to familiarize myself with the knowledge and tools necessary to tune a computer controlled motor. Mostly I am trying to figure out if I can ever grasp enough understanding of the process to possibly learn how to do my own tuning someday.

In my case I have a Jeep with 350 (vortec heads) TBI conversion running headers and link suspension with several heim joints and I was originally told this would cause a lot of false knock issues if I ran a knock sensor, therefore it was recommended that it be deleted. I now realize it may have been good to have left it on if for nothing else to activate it just for tuning proposes (timing table).

Since I don’t I have a knock sensor I got to thinking would it be possible to use vacuum data to aid in the tuning of the timing table. Since in most cases the best timing develops the highest vacuum and when pre-detonation occurs it will lowering the vacuum, I felt this might be a good alternative to the knock sensor for tuning purposes.

My question, is it possible make a vacuum history table this may not be correct but for example something like this (map Vs. rpm Vs. TPS %) and use it to help fine tune timing? I was thinking after recording a data log, I could pull the vacuum history find the cells with high count numbers than adjust the timing in those areas until the highest vacuum can be achieved, than just smooth out the low count cells to blend with the fine-tuned high count cells.

I hope all of this made sense and I don't sound like a complete idiot.