Hey guys, I need some suggestions on how to stop my engine from pinging. It always dose it from idle to about 30 miles an hour, after being stopped at a red light and such. Also, I think my fan is hitting the cover ( cant remember the name ) of the radiator, should I just take it off? thanks
I would'nt remove the fan shroud if at all possible, it really helps in cooling while you are sitting still. On the pinging, what is your initial timing set at? For pinging you can either back off the initial timing a couple degrees, check to see if your vacuum advance is adjustable and back it off a bit if it is, buy a higher octane of gas or richen up the fuel mixture. Another thing that can sometimes cause pinging is too hot of a spark plug. I think it's a 1/8th allen wrench for the vacuum advance adjustment. The adjustment is on the inside of the vacuum nipple. Hope this helps some clint
re: Fan Shroud I'd say 'NO'. Adjust it so that it doesn't hit the fan. Also, look at your motor supports. They might be cracked and allowing the engine to torque (rotate) more than it's designed to and allowing the fan to hit the shroud. re: pinging "Pinging" (aka "knocking") is usually heard at high rpms where detonation is occuring. I don't belive this would be the case at low rpms. I wonder if you are hearing a 'tapping' coming from a valve or two. Just to rule out detonation, you can back the timing down a few degrees and see if that stops it. Another scenario is that oil is not getting to the top of the engine at low rpms - indicating an oil pump going out (or just not working good at low rpms). Checked/changed oil lately? <-- no mechanic, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night
probably need to adjust the timing. what do you have it set at? if the fan is hitting the shroud, something is not right. the shroud will definitely help keep it running cooler, so you don't want to get rid of it if you don't have to. not in phoenix anyway. already fall. i was at the arizona mills mall yesterday and it was still 103. is the engine stock or has it been modified? if the pinging keeps up after the timing is adjusted you might want to change brands of gasoline.
I put a rebuilt Duraspark in my F100 a couple years back and had the worse trouble with spark knock. It would ping at low rpm's when the engine was loaded and really pinged with the shifting of gears. Finally traced it down to the vacuum advance adjustment. Whoever did the rebuild must have been having a bad day and felt like messing with somebody. They had turned the vacuum advance screw all the way in. Whenever the ported vacuum opened up it would pull in ALOT of advance and make it spark knock. Not all are adjustable but alot of the stock Ford units are. You can use it to really fine tune your vacuum curve to make your car get better mileage and feel more peppy when just cruising around Clinr
A minor correction if you'll permit; ping is most prominent at highest load, not RPM. Its when the flame front hammers the inside of the combustion space, so its worst when your foot is to the floor at low RPMs. If you're getting high-rpm ping its from an advance curve that goes too far. I agree with the rest; double check your initial timing, then your advance springs, then your vacuum advance. If that fails, try a cooler spark plug or replacing ones you have; its possible they are carboned up and holding too much heat. If everything else fails, try a check of your primary circuit on the carb to make sure its not giving you a lean condition. Are you using a clutch fan, or a direct drive? Does the temperature creep up at the light? If so, cooling things off by making sure the cooling system is in perfect condition is a key. Have the radiator baked out, new fan clutch (if used), new thermostat, new coolant. Lastly, try cleaning carbon out of the engine using water. Its an old trick but it works very well. With the engine hot and running, squirt some water from a spray bottle in the throat of the carb. Don't go nuts; the engine will tell you when you've gone too far and it will start to shudder and idle poorly. What you are doing is basically steam cleaning the combustion space. I usually give a few sprays and then blip the throttle. The steam breaks up carbon deposits. If you do this at night, sometimes you can even see little sparks come out the exhuast; hot pieces of carbon that you've freed up.
Thanks fellas, this should help out alot. Ill check this stuff out right away. Ill let you know what I find.
could the sound you are hearing be the fan hitting the shroud? something to look at...since you know it is hitting the shroud...
Good call rick, it very well could be. I should be able to find some time to look at it soon. If it is Knocking though, Ive got plenty of advice to pick from.
You are correct, Curtis. I stand corrected. I had drag racing on my mind so the engine would always be under load. But yes, I recall a few times when the timing was off, or there was a vacuum leak, bad gas, etc., caused the engine to knock at low rpms (under load). Thanks for correcting me, Rick
With your engine off and your keys in your pocket(for safety)....grab the fan by the blades,pull onetoward the radiator while pushing the opposite side toward the motor...what you are checking is lateral/radial runout of the water-pump. You say you suspect fan to shroud contact.....on top of that you hear valve rattle....which is pre-ignition,therefore there is a slight overheat problem. If the water pump is the problem,you will more than likely fix both problems(Kill two birds with one stone--so to speak).Let us know what you find.....Hotrod-Daddy
Ok, so I checked the Water pump, the engine mounts, and the oil, it all looks satisfactory. I haven't played with the carb yet, and I need to check the plugs also. My main problem comes when I start the car, could it be a starter problem?
