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What does "Pinging" mean?


Ranger850

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Uncle Gump

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isn't " fuel/air mix burning before the spark ignites" :icon_confused: uncontrolled burning?
Yes...

I can remember probably back in the late 70's early 80's when all auto manufacturers were looking for mileage and adding emissions related stuff... nearly everything had there moments of ping... spark knock... pre-ignition... detonation. I believe it might have been Standard Oil advertised their fuels saying it would stop the Ping. Ping isn't a new term. It has been around for probably three decades... maybe longer. The was another oil company that referred to their fuel as No Knock... again... nothing new with either term.

The difference between pre-ignition and detonation is when the event happens... I said in my second post that they were different. Pre-ignition is just that... the fuel mixture lites before the spark is delivered. Detonation happens after the spark is delivered. Pre-ignition will cause extreme combstion chamber temps and will melt pistons in extreme conditions. Dentonation is a more violent and actually breaks things. I've seen both cases and pre-ignition looks like someone took a torch to a piston... detonation looks like someone took a hammer to it.
 

rusty ol ranger

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Don't call out all 4.0s just because yours has a problem... it's not a 2.9l.
When you got an engine thats 1.1 L larger and only making 20 more HP id call that a problem.

But thats none of my business.
 

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D E T O N A T I O N causes pinging. Knocks usually come from loose rods or broken crankshafts. The engine won't last long with either one left unchecked.

I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said, just figured I'd throw another term in there to confuse the issue.

Detonation, pinging or pre-ignition are sometimes called "fuel knock" though.
 

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When you got an engine thats 1.1 L larger and only making 20 more HP id call that a problem.

But thats none of my business.
I've got a '02 2.3L, 135HP. What's the 2.9L make again?
 

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Here is an ad from probably 70's that refers to pinging..

 

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Ah, the thoughts of engine knock. brings back some memories from the good 'ol days.
remember the carburated engines from the sixties??? when you shut the key off it only killed the ignition. the carburetor was still adding fuel and sometimes on that last revolution before the engine stopped detonation would occur and the engine kept running. knocked like hell and sounded like it was going to explode, belched all sorts of fumes too. maybe that's where "dieseling" became such a loathsome term.
somtimes the detonation happened at just the right (wrong) time and the engine would run backwards a couple of revolutions.
the classic was when the shaking and knocking would pop the transmission out of park and the car would drive itself across the parking lot,, if it got that far without hitting something.
 

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PJ... I so remember those days.

I remember the worst one I ever seen was a dodge omni... it pretty much self destructed in my stall.
 

Ranger850

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my 83 "deiseled" once, for a few seconds, we laughed like hell,
man that truck gave me trouble. i couldn't give it away back then, except i did to my Dad. idk what he did with it. now i miss it.
 

Ranger850

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I'm cleared up on what I need to know.
feel free to split hairs, fellas. I love synonyms.
 

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I'm cleared up on what I need to know.
feel free to split hairs, fellas. I love synonyms.
Done already? The thread hasn't even side-tracked to the cost of raising a llama in New Mexico. ( or something along those lines.)
 

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Denisefwd93

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I came across a couple posts from somewhere online last night about lower thermostat temperature =lower temperatures = less ping. Anyone tried that?


edit:
I I had a 185 thermostat in my 93 4.0 and it pinged just like my 94 4.0 that has a 192 thermostat
 
Last edited:

19Walt93

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Light spark knock- ping- that could be cured by less spark advance or a little higher octane fuel probably isn't harmful. It can also be caused by carbon build up. 200's and 250's in the late 70's were prone to carbon build up so severe it would cause piston to head contact. We never tore one down to fix it, we'd take the car out behind the shop, get the engine up to temp, and run it at 2500-3000 while slowly trickling water down the carb and burn the carbon out of it. If you try it on a vehicle with a cat be careful because it will overheat the cat fast. Heavy spark knock can cause engine damage, 302's and 351's in 80's-90's F150's and Bronco's would burn pistons from induction crossfire when the plug wires for cylinders 5 & 6 were run too close together. Removing the alcohol doesn't cure spark knock, increased octane does. Alcohol in the gas causes wasted money, foul exhaust odor from cold engines, small engine fuel system problems, and happy politicians. Other than that it amounts to nothing.
 

Ranger850

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I changed the Name of the thread for @Denisefwd93, she needs help and has a thread about it, pleas refer to that thread to help her out
 

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