Spark Knock problem???

[snatiep]

Hello Everyone!

Recently my check engine light came on and one of the coil packs had to be replaced. I went to the junk yard and got 2 "new" coil packs and my truck runs and idles like a champ.

It does have a minor spark knock when the truck is in overdrive, floored, and going up a hill. I replaced the plugs with new Motorcraft plugs and Autolite Wires. It still pings. I went and got some colder Autolite 103 plugs and it still pings a bit.

My question......could it be the old coil packs I put in?

I have ran 3/4 can of Seafoam through the main vacuum line and it smoked like CRAZY!!

I wonder if the pinging is coming from carbon buildup?

One strange thing......sometimes when floored it won't ping at all. I'm not sure what the problem is?

Do these truck tend to ping a little when under heavy acceleration?

My truck has 128,000 miles on it.

I thank you for your thoughts!

There is no check engine light on.

 

[martin]

A combination of too few revs too much throttle and too much load will make anything knock.

 

[scotts90ranger]

yep, downshift...

that and maybe get some MAF cleaner and clean it off, might help.

 

[snatiep]

Thanks for the comments! I surely appreciate them!

I did today go out and buy some MAF cleaner this afternoon. I have cleaned it with a can of electronics cleaner a few weeks ago, but since they sell MAF cleaner specifically....there must be something special about it.

Maybe I'm worrying too much about this minor pinging. Other than that the truck runs like a top....idles smoothly.....plenty of "pick up"........26mpg......only the ping in 5th when I lean into it. Maybe I should start running mid grade fuel through it.

Thanks for the help folks!

 

[scotts90ranger]

just stop running up hills full throttle in 5th gear, downshift and get up there faster... a 2.3 will run all day at 6000rpm and not bat an eye, it sounds like it's running pretty good, it's normal for the engine to have a slight intermittent ping in those exact conditions, the HP peak of these things is at 4600rpm, torque peak around 2600rpm, that means best power at 4600rpm (running up hills) and best gas mileage at 2600rpm

 

[snatiep]

Well I sprayed the MAF wires with the special MAF aerosol cleaner and I think it helped quite a bit. I took it on a quick test drive and got her up to 70, started up a hill in 5th gear, and floored it. It sure didn't rattle like it did before. I only heard a very few small pings and they went away.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that this solved the problem!

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[press 1 for english]

Thanks for the comments! I surely appreciate them!

I did today go out and buy some MAF cleaner this afternoon. I have cleaned it with a can of electronics cleaner a few weeks ago, but since they sell MAF cleaner specifically....there must be something special about it.

Maybe I'm worrying too much about this minor pinging. Other than that the truck runs like a top....idles smoothly.....plenty of "pick up"........26mpg......only the ping in 5th when I lean into it. Maybe I should start running mid grade fuel through it.

Thanks for the help folks!

The more the timing is advanced, the fuel economy will be best. Minor pinging won't hurt it. I had a 1990 2.3 Ranger that didn't ping on 93 octane but pinged like a son of a gun on 87. Used it until about 200,000 miles and it still ran like a top until some drunk fool ran into it a parking lot doing 40.

 

[Duane867]

Octane boost or higher quality gasoline...
If I run shell 87 Octane in my little truck it runs perfectly. If I run Swifty gas 87 octane in her she runs like doo doo.
All gas comes from the same place and is the same quality no matter where you go to get it is a massive myth.

 

[snatiep]

I have been buying all of my gas at either Costco or Sams Club lately because it is cheaper.

Thank you for the advice, I'll try buying gas from a well known gas station and see if the pinging completely goes away.

 

[Beanmachine7000]

Octane boost or higher quality gasoline...
If I run shell 87 Octane in my little truck it runs perfectly. If I run Swifty gas 87 octane in her she runs like doo doo.
All gas comes from the same place and is the same quality no matter where you go to get it is a massive myth.

Except it's no myth, it all does come from the same place... The only difference is whatever additives that oil company decides to put in it after they get it out of the pipeline...

Hello Everyone!

Recently my check engine light came on and one of the coil packs had to be replaced. I went to the junk yard and got 2 "new" coil packs and my truck runs and idles like a champ.

It does have a minor spark knock when the truck is in overdrive, floored, and going up a hill. I replaced the plugs with new Motorcraft plugs and Autolite Wires. It still pings. I went and got some colder Autolite 103 plugs and it still pings a bit.

My question......could it be the old coil packs I put in?

I have ran 3/4 can of Seafoam through the main vacuum line and it smoked like CRAZY!!

I wonder if the pinging is coming from carbon buildup?

One strange thing......sometimes when floored it won't ping at all. I'm not sure what the problem is?

Do these truck tend to ping a little when under heavy acceleration?

My truck has 128,000 miles on it.

I thank you for your thoughts!

There is no check engine light on.

Downshift... Once your past 1/2-3/4 throttle it pays to downshift to create more torque... Besides, running it at full throttle in higher gears is hard on your engine...

 

[slolearner]

Flooring it in 5th gear defeats the purpose of using and taking advantage of the 5th gear ratios.

 

[Duane867]

Except it's no myth, it all does come from the same place... The only difference is whatever additives that oil company decides to put in it after they get it out of the pipeline...




Downshift... Once your past 1/2-3/4 throttle it pays to downshift to create more torque... Besides, running it at full throttle in higher gears is hard on your engine...

No myth. ( obviously we know it all comes from the earth to start as crude ;-) )
The differences are huge though. Filter processes, additives ect ect ect from the refinery down to the retailer and what he puts in it or cuts it with. BP, Shell, and a few select others don't seem to do it but almost all discount brand gas stations cut their gas. I don't care what they say its cut with something.

 

[press 1 for english]

Octane boost or higher quality gasoline...
If I run shell 87 Octane in my little truck it runs perfectly. If I run Swifty gas 87 octane in her she runs like doo doo.
All gas comes from the same place and is the same quality no matter where you go to get it is a massive myth.

I know better than that. Gasoline is gasoline and the additives used are all the same contrary to each companies commercial claims.
The only reason some fuel "appears" to be better than others is obviously water or other crap in the underground tanks.
This whole deal was covered on the shows Shade Tree Mechanic and Two Guys Garage.
Some of the older Ghandi convenience store fuel tanks around here probably have several inches of crud in the bottom of them.