The main questions I have are on the knock sensors and the distributor timing. I was wanting to overide them so I can use a gear drive. From what I have read in my Haynes book, when the knock sensors do not detect any knocking, the computer allows full advance on the distributor. When there is knocking detected, the computer retards the timing up to 20 degrees and then slowly brings it back up. (am I on target here or not?) Therefore, if I take the knock sensors out of the block and put them some where else, like in a plastic box mounted to the firewall, and ground the body of the knock sensors to the negative terminal on the battery (as if it was in the block), they won't detect any knock. This will allow full advance on the distributor. Correct? I am assuming that the distributor and computer set the timing to a pre-determined value for normal operation and use the knock sensors to retard that timing when needed. Correct? I am also assuming that doing this would essentially lock the timing in to the optimal factory advance timing curve. Let me know what you think about this modification and if it will work or not. If I have to I will just go with a double row timing set.

 

You can disable the knock sensing in the chip, and not bother with this.

In some programs there is a routine to test the sensor, ie the ecm adds a bunch of timing for an instant and listens for knock. It there is no knock then the ecm doesn't allow Power Enrichment.
Self diagnostics thing...