Pinging during acceleration.

[Beergod]

My 02 4.0 has moderate pinging during strong acceleration. Tried 90 octane and it helps a little but not completely. Am i risking engine damage at all and Is there anything else I can do to help?? Thanx!

 

[RonD]

Make sure EGR system is working if you have that system, it helps cool the cylinders.

Although you should get a CEL if it isn't

How many miles on the engine?
Could there be some carbon build up in the cylinders?

Pinging comes from 4 things:
Fuel mix too lean, MAF, low fuel pressure, or vacuum leak
Cylinder getting too hot and pre-igniting fuel, lean mix, EGR and/or carbon build up
Timing advancing too much, Cam position sensor or broken anti-knock sensor
Compression too high for fuel octane, carbon build up

4.0l is a low compression engine so regular gas is best
Octane is a heat measurement, the higher the octane the more heat it will tolerate before igniting.
Compression = heat

When fuel/air mix comes into the cylinder it cools it, lean mix means less cooling and also a more explosive mixture, the perfect gas/air mix will melt an engine, just FYI.

 

[ddb maine]

Being that its 11 years old, have you ever flushed the cooling system. As stated, pinging can be detonation and if an increase in octane truly helped you may have an increase in cylinder temps. I'm not a mechanic, but I know that ford "gold" coolant isn't rated for 11 years. I believe it's a VCT flush. So others may have to step in at this point, but I believe the product is called VCT, you drain the coolant system, run this for 1 hr +- (details are fuzzy) then rinse with softened water. fill 'er up and go.
Of course even if it isn't your issue its more of a time thing than a money thing and unless its been done within the last 5-6 years and 100k its worth it.