Ping Thing

Last week leaving work my '78 L6 4.1 184k mi Nova started pingging when acceleraterating up the freeway onramp. When I backed off the pingging stopped, of course I tryed it again with ping again.

Timming checked ok, vacuum canister holds, I lubbed the weights, put mid- grade gas, STP, cap, rotor( time to change any way) with no change of symptom. I have this ping only when the engine is cold, once warm I can homp on it with great pick up and no ping. This engine holds a 18 vacuum @ idle.

I do not have a distributor machine, but is there anything else I could do??

what gas do you run ?

pinging under load would be too much advance/hot spots in cc's

is the engine running warmer than it should ?

does it run on when shut off ?

pinging is not good for it

initial timing should be no more than 6 or 8 BTDC

good luck

what gas do you run ?

pinging under load would be too much advance/hot spots in cc's

is the engine running warmer than it should ?

does it run on when shut off ?

pinging is not good for it

initial timing should be no more than 6 or 8 BTDC

good luck

Hey Randy, I did manage to find a copy and got the timing aT 6 BTDC, idle at 600 in dr. To set idle I had to re connect vacuum advance and plug the EGR and canister vacuum line.
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I WOULD like to know the Temp... where do I install the mechanical water temp gauge on my 78 6cyl, oil press too... could I just remove the stock units without it changing the engine operation? there are two plugs near the front one of them has two wires one has one wire, which one is which?

I know where the oil port is though should I just remove the stock and put in the mechanical line?.

I run chevron mid grade if not chevron I add STP.

You are so right ping is not good and it does not run on but I solved that with dist. plate and weight spring kit, and got something else to solve.

Thank you for answering my questions It is a BIG help!

If it is coming from the engine, I suggest rislone/lucas oil My 73 started a pinging/tick about three years ago, I changed my oil put in a quart of rislone, and lucas upper cylinder wall lubricant, and did that again next time I changed the fluid with some carbon engine restorer, no noise since. If it isn't engine noise the above were correct.

I worked in one shop that did a lot of diagnostics and tune up work. If we suspected that a car was carboned up, there was this product we would pour down the carb while it ran. It was some commercial ammonia/water mixture, had to be done outside.

In most ping problems it would work. You can do the same thing at home, pour about a quart of water down the carb.. slowly.. while working the throttle by hand, just increase the RPMs as you pour. It shocks the carbon loose from the top of the piston and valves. It smokes like crazy out the exhaust but clears up quickly after you're done. Just let it idle a few minutes after you finish.

Bob

I might add to that, to add about 1/4 tranny fluid to lubricate the valves, pushrods, rockers, etc while doing this. It will rattle the crap out of stuff and will work, but protect your investment while doing so. I also would not recomend doing this on an old engine. If you are pushing 130k, 140k miles, I would not recomend this water method

I watched Grandpa do the water thing to his '65 Cornett 440 (hard top). I ruined a '74 Nova with 165k miles putting water down the carb..NEVER ran decent after that.

I have replaced : plugs, wires, coil, cap, rotor, mecanical advance kit, delay vacuum advance valve.. This symptym happens when the engine is cold...not when hot.

PB blaster loosened up something 'cause now it don't ping if I slowly accelerate, only if I goose the throtle too much.. know what I mean??

I also riched the carb just in case it was lean, loosened the choke (that helped the misfire when cold). I doused it with carb cleaner too.

Has anyone replaced the pick up coil?? where can I find a rebuilt distributor?? Can a distributor from a sb / bb chevy fit a in line??