I'm not the most mechanically inclined, but I want to know how I could detect detonation. From what I've read sometimes you can't hear it. Well what sound/s should I be looking for, and what are the major causes of it? And lastly how can you avoid/fix it.

 

It is true that you can't always hear detonation. But when you can, it's gotten too bad and damage is right around the corner. Detonation is caused by the compressed air/fuel mixture ignighting from excessive heat befor the spark plug fires to ignight it. This causes all kinds of un-needed stress which can cause rod failure, holed pistons, burnt valves, among other things. Detonation on these trucks sounds like takeing marbles and dropping them on a bakeing cookie sheet.

The way to prevent it, is to make sure you run a safe tune and the propor gas for that tune.

 

If anybody ever hears detonation, stop driving immediately. Just pull over and turn it off. It will cool down with time. Then drive it home slowly.

To fix it, use higher octane. If you have a chip, get the timing reduced.

Detonation occurs when the fuel fires too fast, and the piston is deadlocked at TDC. True that the hotter the engine is the easier it will occur, becaused the fuel will flash earlier.

Damage is sure to result from detonation. It can even blow rings out of pistons, and thus the pistons will crack at the ring landings.

 

Here is some 'detonation' info:

http://www.hastingsmfg.com/Service%2...detonation.htm

Dan

 

MSD makes an add on knock sensor kit that has a sensor you screw into the block and a little box that flashes and beeps to warn you when detonation occurs. It is supposedly adjustable because some motors are "noisier" than others. I ordered one yesterday-I think the part number was 8964.

 

Superchargers also make detonation (1) more severe and (2) harder to hear.

 

how accurate is that and can you let me know how that works out? thanks, Shane

 

Yeah, I'd be VERY interested to see how that box works out. I've heard that there are factory sensors, but they are disabled because the SC motor makes so much noise. I know Sal has done some work on trying to enable them. LightningTuner , can you chime in on this?

 

It will be a couple weeks before I get it installed and going but I will definitely come back and post if it works or not. Someone at the track told me about it last week-said he knows someone who has it and it works great. My ears are bad (huh?) so something like this would definitely be an asset to me.

 

My initial impression of the MSD knock sensor is that I wasted my money. The box with the lights and buzzer looks really cheezy and the buzzer is not loud enough for me to hear (poor hearing is why I bought this thing in the first place!) It is constantly showing knock when I am pretty sure there is none. Must be picking up the blower. Maybe Ford was on to something when they disabled them on the L. I'll update after some more seat time but for now my advice is don't waste your time or money.