90 Escort Still Pinging! HELP! HELP! HELP!

Okay, I give up! It's still pinging after warm up with just a little acceleration in second and third gear. I ran a bottle of RX2 then a bottle to Techron through the system. Removed the EGR valve, cleaned and tested for proper operation, okay. Replaced the infamous TFI module, spark plugs, distributor cap, rotor, ignition coil and wires. Adjusted the throttle linkage for the transmission according to the shop manual. Tried octane booster and 93 octane gas to no avail. Ran diags more times than I can count with no error codes. Checked the base timing and the ability to advance timing which checks okay. Otherwise, the car runs well and idles smooth. I'm out of tricks and this is driving me NUTS! The only thing I can think of is that its a three speed automatic and it may be shifting into second then third, too quickly. It feels like it upshifts before it should but I can't find any information about how to check or change the shift points. Could it be that pinging is normal for a 90 Escort? It only has 37,000 miles on it. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you very much.

I have nothing new to add..that I hadn't said before in the last post about this.You had stated that it did NOT ping cold.You are now saying again that it pings warm.Problem is when warm.Either too lean or too hot.OR some emmission thinggy diddling with timing when warm..AND driving.You're sure the egr is working WHEN it is pinging? Try disconnecting it..running it alone/remote.A fuel system test shows enough pressure AND volume..cold and hot? .There isn't a restriction or an obvious dirty filter plugging things up/restricting flow..so the thing isn't leaning out/running too hot/detonating(pinging).it isn't overheating..a good accurate "T" gauge shows what?.Stuck thermostats,plugged rads,overheating engines AND sensors telling the fan to "run faster,faster"..ain't gonna cut it..you have good coolant circulation.An engine that old with that few miles on it.Carbon build up?.Do a compression test.Maybe too high..cam lobe heading south?.Try backing off the timing..I THINK you can do that on this year model.OR disconnecting the advance.It is NOT likely a load factor..engine seizing up,transmission or otherwise.Pinging is not a normal complaint about Escorts.

Thanks again for your reply but I feel like I'm going around in circles. The weather here has changed recently to temperatures in the 90's and above. When I say it doesn't ping cold I mean until the temperature guage moves up to about the first line which is not fully warmed up yet. I checked the temperature guage with another guage and it seems accurate in telling me that I am not overheating. Again, it doesn't ping in first gear whether its cold or hot, only in second and third gear after warm up. I can let up on the gas to find the point where it doesn't ping. I have gone over all that you have said but can't find anything. The fuel filter has been changed. I would like to be able to monitor the EVR and the PFE sensor while drive the car. I have checked the voltages on both of these but haven't found a problem yet. The PFE is at about 3.25 volts during the KOEO test but testing the PFE by applying vacuum, I have not been able to do. I saw some moisture in the hose that goes from the PFE to the EGR valve and tried to blow out any excess moisture in the PFE with compressed air from a can. The base timing is 10 degrees with the SPOUT connector out. My Equus 3145 tester allows me to force the engine into a 20 degree advance timing for testing purposes. It looks good with a timing light. Clearly, I am missing something that you have suggested. If it is a cam lobe going south, I'm probably screwed because I'll likely need expensive engine work which I can't afford. As far as the carbon build up is concerned, I have read that either Seafoam or BG44 could be used to remove any internal carbon. Do you have any opinions about either product?

I have nothing new to add..that I hadn't said before in the last post about this.You had stated that it did NOT ping cold.You are now saying again that it pings warm. Problem is when warm. Either too lean or too hot.OR some emmission thinggy diddling with timing when warm..AND driving.You're sure the egr is working WHEN it is pinging? Try disconnecting it..running it alone/remote.A fuel system test shows enough pressure AND volume..cold and hot? .There isn't a restriction or an obvious dirty filter plugging things up/restricting flow..so the thing isn't leaning out/running too hot/detonating(pinging).it isn't overheating..a good accurate "T" gauge shows what?.Stuck thermostats,plugged rads,overheating engines AND sensors telling the fan to "run faster,faster"..ain't gonna cut it..you have good coolant circulation.An engine that old with that few miles on it.Carbon build up?.Do a compression test.Maybe too high..cam lobe heading south?.Try backing off the timing..I THINK you can do that on this year model.OR disconnecting the advance.It is NOT likely a load factor..engine seizing up,transmission or otherwise.Pinging is not a normal complaint about Escorts.

I am REALLY TRYING! to keep this as simple as possible for you!
You have already replaced a bunch of stuff.
Engines ping for basically a FEW!! reasons.

#1..since the days of model "T"s AND the second ww when my father worked on Lancaster bombers with blowers and injection set-ups requiring water injection at high altitudes to control detonatation.This pinging with automobiles continued as they got more and more power out of engines..got more and more octane out of gas. When they started putting lead in the gas..this raised the octane a lot..SOOoo..they got more and more power and more and more pinging.

The octane level of the gas was the #1..BY FAR culprit from the 1940's to the late 1980's.Add more octane the pinging went away.

OR REDUCE timing!..the pinging went away.

EVERY SINGLE internal combustion engine has an "optimum" point where the spark is timed..the engine fired.They are ALL designed for a specifc parameters of compression(power).In the last 35 years they have also been designed for emmissions reasons.

Timing,timing,timing...are you able to..(I can't remember on this model)..c'mon..there MUST be someone out here that knows this off the top of their head..1990 Escort..basic distributor? Yes/no?..basic vaccum advance can? Yes/no? basic timing..rotate the distributor? yes/no? I can't remeber it and don't have a book handy. disconnect the vacuum advance and test drive the car?
Yes or no?. Yes? Do it.Try it.

In almost ALL cases where engines ping..disconnecting the advance for TESTING purposes ONLY! eliminates the problem.AND THEN you work back from there.

This problem was SO COMMON!! that GM in the 1980's began issuing "for dealer use"..(YA RIGHT..to deal with customer complaints!) different distributor vacuum advance canisters.Lower rates of vacuum advance to control,eliminate pinging.

Again..DISCONNECT the advance(if you can) and try it!

If this fixes it for a while..then we look further into this.

If it does not.I THINK on these models that you can rotate the distributor housing and retard the timing.This is what we do next.Retard the timing AGAIN WITHOUT the vacuum advance connected.

Disconnect the vacuum advance.
Pings?
Retard the total timing..
Pings?..we go from there.

IF as you said..you have gone over EVERYTHING and it still pings..THEN we go back and put it in a no ping state..THEN work back up to where it pings.And see what the problem is along the way.

Engines were timed "shade tree mechanic timing"..and oh yeah..a LOT of high end race engines..the drivers "felt" detonation and backed off the timing.From the 1930's to the 1980's

"Advance her 'till she pings..THEN back her off a hair".Done.

I highly doubt and DON'T GO HERE YET..that if it has springs on the weights in the distributor..that the spirigs have gotten weak.the weights stuck.Pontiac was caught NUMEROUS times in the 1960's "cheating"..by having engines with "other than stock" timing.Greatly advanced timing..NOT easily picked up on.On SERIOUS examination.."Oh..they mustta forgot a spring on the advance weight during production"..Sure..OVER and over again