i have a DFI and haven't installed it yet but dont plan to use the knock sensor BUT have a jumper harness.

Sooo....can i just disconnect the sensor and it wont automatically retard timing right?

 

I believe so. I'm not the keenest person on DFI but i'm pretty sure your could disable the knock sensor without any problems or timeing being pulled. Then you run the risk of burning a hole in your piston(s) due to the knock sensor being disabled. I personally would look into probably causes of knock and try to fix those before i would disable the knock sensor OR run some kinda switch up to the cab area to where you can switch it off when you race or on while driveing around town.

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89 IROC-Z 350 TPI

-Flowmaster Catback
-Performance Resource Chip
-700R4 (Rebuilt) Too much done to actually list
-K&N Airfilters
-Ported Plenum
-2.77 Gears (not much to brag about but eh, its there)
-MSD 8.5 mm plug wires
-Gutted cat
-!AIR
-Gutted Air Boxes

 

It depends on what kind of sensor you have. I'm not familiar with what Accel offers as far as knock sensors go but if it has 2 wires it modifies a refrence voltage to indicate knock. If it has one wire it creates voltage. If it has one wire disconnecting it won't cause you any computer related problems but the ecm will not be able to save you from excessive knock. You will have to leave a 2 wire sensor connected, out of the block if you want to disable it. A knock sensor does not automaticly retard spark, only when it sees detonation

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82 z28 350cid, vortec heads, comp 262h cam, Holley 600cfm carb, 2in twice pipes, MSD ignition, turbo 350 trans, 3.73 posi, manly b&m megashifter

 

Why would you want to unhook the esc
it has no afect on performance unless you have detonation and in that case if you don't retard the timming your going to blow your engine

 

the reason why i would want to unhook the knock sensor is because the DFI's ive helped tune on GM cars tend to take out timing and "knock" during/after a shift point where there is no detonation. Personally i think the knock sensor is just one big pain in the butt

Ford never had the need for one and they run fine