timing?
 

i have a buddy that was unhappy with his 8ight-t with his 2200kv combo on 4S geared 45/15. he bumped the timing up to 20 degrees and now it flies. my question is, is that safe on the esc? i always throught you shouldn't mess with the timing. his temps are very cool at this point after a 15 minute practice. should he worry about damaging the esc?

If the temps are fine then raising the timing should pose no threat to the ESC. Conversely, if the motor was overheating, it could de-mag and take out the ESC on it's way down.

Did he try gearing it a few different ways, or just go for timing?

I have messed with the timing alot on my mmm in my buggy and found it does just what it's supposed to. Ups top end rpm and reduces bottom end. Does create extra heat if your gearing is off to start with but I typically run 0-10 degrees on the small indoor tracks I race at and gear up if I want more speed. Works really well on larger open tracks though to really get movin.