kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 guys, i'm having some minor issues with my '85 stang. it seems to be 'pinging' when i go WOT. it doesn't matter what the engine rpms are, when i punch it, i hear what sounds like a clattering coming from the motor. if i'm only 1/2 throttle it won't do it. here's my set-up: 52k mile stock bottom end 5.0, with edelbrock performer intake, holley 585 carb, GT40 heads (upgraded springs??), crane roller rockers, e303 cam as far as i know. i filled the tank up with 87 octane, and figured the car had too much timing for that octane (should have used 93 octane), so i backed the timing down to 10 degrees from 14. the plugs are autolite 104's gapped at 0.043", new distributor cap, rotor, and plug wires, fresh fuel filter. when i made those changes (decreased timing, lowered gap from 0.050 to 0.043"), the pinging stopped for a day, but now it came back. it doesn't seem to do it when the car is cold, either. i will add 93 octane as soon as the tank gets lower furthermore, i took it on the freeway yesterday, and ran it pretty hard. i noticed that the car seemed to be running a bit hot when i was stopped at lights, or when i nailed it. when i got home, tons of coolant had been spit out of the expansion tank, and all the coolant hoses seemed tight as a drum, like the coolant system was pressurized or something. when the car cooled down, i had to add about 2 quarts of coolant to the radiator. oil looks totally fine. WTF?? blown head gasket?? how do i verify this?? could detonation have caused all this?? any help would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTM Brian Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I would doubt that detonation on a NA motor would blow a head gasket. I am wondering if you are lean. Check to see if there are air bubbles in the radiator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I would doubt that detonation on a NA motor would blow a head gasket. I am wondering if you are lean. Check to see if there are air bubbles in the radiator. i haven't changed the fuel pump yet--its the original pump, that might be my next step, as well as adding better gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave1647545494 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 change the t-stat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miller Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 change the t-stat +1 and check for fix a leak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 sounds lean...spark knock and running warm. but whats the timing at when at 3500 rpm? and yes the fuel pump could very well be weak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 i recently swapped out whatever t-stat was in there for a 180 degree t-stat. i will be getting a new fuel pump later today. haven't checked the timing at 3500rpms. right now its around 10.5 degrees, and around 30 degrees with the vacuum advance hose attached Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 run a 160 stat. are the secondaries working? why did you dump 87 in it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 run a 160 stat. i'll pick one up today are the secondaries working?? no clue here, how do i check?? why did you dump 87 in it? because i'm retarded Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 id say get some 92 or better in there or atleast some octane booster. then retry it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 will do all the above, tonight and update the thread tomorrow. thanks guys kirk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NXfedRam Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I would agree with most of the above. I would imagine a bad tank of gas would be the most likely cause if it has never done this in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windsor86 Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 if that dosnt work, what rob said about the secondaries not working could be something to check. if you floor it do all 4 bbls open? vacumm or mechanical? all things to check Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 29, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I would agree with most of the above. I would imagine a bad tank of gas would be the most likely cause if it has never done this in the past. i don't know because i just bought the car recently. i'm going to add some octane booster, and then blip the throttle cable to see if the secondaries open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 didn't get a chance to start the car tonight, but i bought some octane booster, and will pick up my fuel pump tomorrow. i pulled the plugs tonight--some of them had a bit of the porceline chipped off (i'm assuming its from my shitty gapping tool puting too much pressure on the electrode). the #1 plug had a white/gray residue on the tip pictured below. other than that the other plugs looked fine http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/1793/s3500136.jpg as far as checking the secondaries, what's the best way to do this? i'm assuming the primaries are labeled 1 below and secondaries 2?? with the car off, if i pull the cable, the primaries open and fuel is squirted into the primaries, but the secondaries stay shut. i'm assuming the car has to be running for the secondaries to open? http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/8092/s3500060.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 see the thing right under your 2? the rear is vacuum controled. white plugs are lean..spark knock could be the reason they are dinged up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y196/gearhead559/Shop%20stuff/s3500060.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 that pic is from when i first got the car. i've removed all the emissions crap, and fixed several vacuum leaks on the carb. the only vacuum tubes going to the carb now are from the master cylinder, the distributor, and the PCV (which was disconnected above at the time of that picture). every other vacuum connection has been blocked off--i'm going to take a picture right now. so i'm not sure how the secondaries open?? when the throttle is wide open creating enough vacuum to open them?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Removed Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 You can tell if your secondaries are opening by keeping them shut with a spring or other means. Test drive the vehicle. If performance is worse with the secondaries held shut, then they were opening when operating normally. Winging the engine in neutral does not work! Vacuum secondaries operate off engine rpm and load, not just rpm, and there just isn't enough airflow in a no-load situation to open the vacuum secondaries. Holley makes about 4 different diaphragms. Even though one may look just like another, the link length can vary. This makes your secondary opening rate all messed up, because the spring is not acting on the diaphragm correctly. If your link is too long, the secondaries won't open all the way, no matter what spring you have installed. If your link is too short, the spring may not even touch the top of the diaphragm, which is not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 first pic is from the passenger side, shows everything plugged off. the remaining vaccuum lines on this side are to the PCV and back to the temp sensor on the back of the intake manifold. http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/5323/s3500143.jpg this shot is from the driver's side, you can see the vaccuum advance line coming from the distributor, and then the other hose going to the master cylinder http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/79/s3500145.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fattyona12 Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 Put a quickfuel 650 on it and forget it...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 going to change out the fuel pump, t-stat, and water pump tonight (timing cover gasket has been wet, and i know its about to go), as well as add octane booster and fill the rest of the tank up with 93 octane. if that doesn't cure the problem, i will probably just take it to a shop that does tons of carbed foxes--there are several in north tampa where i live Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirks5oh Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 tried some lucas octane booster and filled the other half of the gas tank with 93 octane--car still pinging, and coolant pressurized, but car did not run hot at all--ran less than midway on the temp guage. i'm going to change the fuel pump tonight, and the timing cover gasket/water pump while i'm there (gaskets are damp), and then take the car to a local shop later this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcowle Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Detonation could have put a hurt on the headgasket, are you losing any coolant other than thru leaks? Did you pull all 8 plugs and did they all look the one you have pictured? Check your timing with another timing light. Whats the timing chain like, is it old or new? Have you checked your rotor phasing in your distributor? Whats inside the cap look like, any oil? Pulled a valve cover for loose rocker or broken spring? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimmel1647545512 Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 Is the car still pinging or does it have a wierd sort of hickup or miss to it now and then, fuel pumps are usally working or not working at all... I had a similar problem and I got a new TFI module and pickup for the distributor and had Rob rebuild the distributor and the car runs like a top and even sounds a little better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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