Pinging 91 5.0
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Joined: Jul 2000
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From: Louisiana
Pinging 91 5.0
Well I'll start off by admitting that this is a problem with my brother's truck that is bugging me. I'm scanning the boards while waiting impatiently for my new SuperCrew to arrive and hoped someone could give me a hand with this problem.
The truck starting pinging with about 25,000 miles on it. Premium fuel makes it bearable but it still pings under a heavy load or going over a tall bridge. It now has roughly 170,000 miles on it and a head job about twenty thousand miles ago and a new computer a few tanks of gas ago haven't helped the problem. I see a handful of possibilities but all are hard to test and the problem doesn't set any codes. It has had numerous O2 sensors put on it over the years. Anybody had the same problem and solved it? The truck is solid other than this one irritation and the current $15 cent a galoon split between regular and premium and recent fuel price increases make this more annoying than ever.
Thanks To All,
Hu
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White XLT SuperCrew
5.4, Limited Slip
Ordered 7-5-00
The truck starting pinging with about 25,000 miles on it. Premium fuel makes it bearable but it still pings under a heavy load or going over a tall bridge. It now has roughly 170,000 miles on it and a head job about twenty thousand miles ago and a new computer a few tanks of gas ago haven't helped the problem. I see a handful of possibilities but all are hard to test and the problem doesn't set any codes. It has had numerous O2 sensors put on it over the years. Anybody had the same problem and solved it? The truck is solid other than this one irritation and the current $15 cent a galoon split between regular and premium and recent fuel price increases make this more annoying than ever.
Thanks To All,
Hu
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White XLT SuperCrew
5.4, Limited Slip
Ordered 7-5-00
Senior Member
Joined: May 2000
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Could be buildup on piston head; maybe timing.
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2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification,Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back.
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2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification,Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back.
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Member
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 53
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From: Louisiana
Primetime,
Yep, this has been and is a good truck. Obviously the pinging isn't detonation. Mike's talking a new engine but we have a suspicion that the dang thing would still ping with a new longblock in it.
Max,
Good thoughts. Build-up doesn't seem to be the problem or at least not the only problem. The pistons were cleaned when the heads were off. Timing seems like the simplest and would have been the most common answer a few years ago but now the dang thing locks down and the computer controls timing. Seems like there is some slight room to move around the distributer but then the computer adjusts the timing to what it wants it to be. I tried to change timing long ago and my memory is a little fuzzy as to exactly why I couldn't. I have some thoughts that the problem could be caused by multiple components and changing them out one at a time isn't solving the problem. I don't know though and I would feel dang silly if I had my brother spend a young fortune on electronics and it still pinged.
Hu
Yep, this has been and is a good truck. Obviously the pinging isn't detonation. Mike's talking a new engine but we have a suspicion that the dang thing would still ping with a new longblock in it.
Max,
Good thoughts. Build-up doesn't seem to be the problem or at least not the only problem. The pistons were cleaned when the heads were off. Timing seems like the simplest and would have been the most common answer a few years ago but now the dang thing locks down and the computer controls timing. Seems like there is some slight room to move around the distributer but then the computer adjusts the timing to what it wants it to be. I tried to change timing long ago and my memory is a little fuzzy as to exactly why I couldn't. I have some thoughts that the problem could be caused by multiple components and changing them out one at a time isn't solving the problem. I don't know though and I would feel dang silly if I had my brother spend a young fortune on electronics and it still pinged.
Hu
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Joined: Sep 1999
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From: Manhattan KS
Hu, the timing is manually adjustable. The factory setting is 10 degrees BTDC. I am not sure if you can retard it. You can advance it about 6 degrees? I read that if the distributor is set at 10 degrees, the computer will rise it to about 17 degrees. I think this is idle speed?
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From: Louisiana
Pastmaster,
Thanks, I had thought that the ignition timing was computer controled on this one. It'll be Sunday before I can work on the truck again if weather permits. I'll work with the timing first. Reading a recently purchased manual I suspect that proper procedure wasn't folowed last time an attempt was made to set timing.
Hu
Thanks, I had thought that the ignition timing was computer controled on this one. It'll be Sunday before I can work on the truck again if weather permits. I'll work with the timing first. Reading a recently purchased manual I suspect that proper procedure wasn't folowed last time an attempt was made to set timing.
Hu
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 295
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From: MS
I had a Ford Ranger that started pinging several months after I had changed the timing belt. The timing belt loosened and jumped a tooth. So the cam timing was off. With a timing light the timing was correct but the computer did nothing to compenstate for the cam being off. This probally is not is wrong with yours, but my point is there are other variables that the computer has nothing to to with.
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From: Louisiana
Pastmaster,
Sorry about the blank post. A sticking keyboard and a poorly aimed rap at it.
Back to the subject at hand, the pinging has gotten worse with age. A change from regular to midgrade helped at 25K and a change to premium helped once again later.
I do know that the timing chain has never been changed on this vehicle and I tried unsuccessfully to check for slack last week. I'll bring a half inch pull arm and a 15/16 socket, if memory serves, Sunday.
I haven't worked as a mechanic for many years but I would think that this thing would have jumped a tooth a long time ago if chain stretch was the problem however I've seen strange things with timing chains so I could be wrong about that. Second guessing what's on you mind so please excuse me if I'm headed in the wrong direction. I'm all ears and ready to fix this thing.
Hu
Sorry about the blank post. A sticking keyboard and a poorly aimed rap at it.
Back to the subject at hand, the pinging has gotten worse with age. A change from regular to midgrade helped at 25K and a change to premium helped once again later.
I do know that the timing chain has never been changed on this vehicle and I tried unsuccessfully to check for slack last week. I'll bring a half inch pull arm and a 15/16 socket, if memory serves, Sunday.
I haven't worked as a mechanic for many years but I would think that this thing would have jumped a tooth a long time ago if chain stretch was the problem however I've seen strange things with timing chains so I could be wrong about that. Second guessing what's on you mind so please excuse me if I'm headed in the wrong direction. I'm all ears and ready to fix this thing.
Hu
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Joined: May 2000
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20k is plenty of time for buildup depending on several variables. Have you checked the timing? Advance?
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2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification,Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back.
------------------
2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification,Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back.
Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 39
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From: Fox Lake IL.
My 92 F150 351 does the same thing had the heads replaced at 120k due to cracked head and valve. Still pings I'm having the timming chain replaced this week since the cover is leaking any way.I herd the distribters in these trucks went bad? Not sure?
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From: Louisiana
Max,
Checking timing according to the procedure in a manual this weekend. It's been checked several times both by myself and a mechanic but I don't think the proper procedure has ever been followed.
Double Tap,
No idea if the distributers give problems on these trucks, I haven't heard anything. Please do let me know if the timing chain solves your problem. That's where I've wanted to go for a long time just from being a mechanic back in the 70's and early 80's when the 289-302's went through timing chains fairly often. I'm a little buffaloed with all this electronic stuff these days and hesitate to spend somebody else's money without being able to pinpoint the problem.
Thanks to All,
Hu
Checking timing according to the procedure in a manual this weekend. It's been checked several times both by myself and a mechanic but I don't think the proper procedure has ever been followed.
Double Tap,
No idea if the distributers give problems on these trucks, I haven't heard anything. Please do let me know if the timing chain solves your problem. That's where I've wanted to go for a long time just from being a mechanic back in the 70's and early 80's when the 289-302's went through timing chains fairly often. I'm a little buffaloed with all this electronic stuff these days and hesitate to spend somebody else's money without being able to pinpoint the problem.
Thanks to All,
Hu
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
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From: Virginia
HI Hu,
If at 170,000 miles that motor still has the original timing chain on it, it is definately worn out, very, very sloppy and loose, just as has been your experience in the past. This can happen in *half* that amount of mileage. You don't notice it because it's so gradual.
The timing is manually adjustable, and it is also computer-controlled too. Set intial advance to 10 degress BTDC, even though it's also computer controlled you still must set the proper amount of initial spark lead.
Whether it's the timing chain or not, at 170K miles it's way past time to replace it.
Best of luck,
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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Info:https://www.f150online.com/rally2000/index.html
If at 170,000 miles that motor still has the original timing chain on it, it is definately worn out, very, very sloppy and loose, just as has been your experience in the past. This can happen in *half* that amount of mileage. You don't notice it because it's so gradual.
The timing is manually adjustable, and it is also computer-controlled too. Set intial advance to 10 degress BTDC, even though it's also computer controlled you still must set the proper amount of initial spark lead.
Whether it's the timing chain or not, at 170K miles it's way past time to replace it.
Best of luck,
------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Info:https://www.f150online.com/rally2000/index.html
