3.8 Pinging why ??

Hi I was wondering do the mustang 3.8 V6 have a pinging problem? If so how to fix this problem. Please.

Reply to
69GT4spdtrac-loc
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Replace the defective component......

Some additional information would be useful. What year? Any driveability problems? Check engine light codes? Have any parts been replaced yet?

If your car is a MAF, you can try unplugging it the MAF sensor assy. If the car stops pinging, either clean or replace it.

John Del Wolcott, CT

"I'm just trying to get into heaven, I'm not running for Jesus!" Homer Simpson

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Reply to
John Del

at 24 Jul 2004, 69GT4spdtrac-loc [ snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.ca] wrote in news:C7yMc.46130$ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com:

What year and when does it ping? Is the check engine light on?

Does it ping when you accelerate? If so, does it ping at WOT? If not, try cleaning your MAF sensor wires. That solved it for me. Cheapest ix possible.

Could be a whole host of causes really. Including bad gas. You'll need to be a bit more specific if you want us to help you...

Reply to
Paul
69GT4spdtrac-loc opined in news:C7yMc.46130$ snipped-for-privacy@news20.bellglobal.com:

yeah they do... just like WINDSTARS!!!!

and go to tccoa.com to find how to clean the MAF

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

Hi thanks for the site and suggestions. I did clean the MaF it still does it at aprox 1800 to 2500 rpm. This motor is a brand new rebuild with aprox 940 kilos. The reason why I asked if all Ford 3.8 motors do this. This one is A

96 Windstar and thought the motors in the mustang should almost be the same. I never see any sites for this van. Thanks again guys for the help. Dave
Reply to
69GT4spdtrac-loc

This motor is a brand new rebuild with aprox 940

Okay, here are the big questions: Did the new engine ping from first run? Did the old one ping before it blew?

The reason why I asked if all Ford 3.8 motors do this. This one is A

Other than the headgaskets never making it past 90K (miles) in Windstars, they are otherwise trouble free and don't ping without a good reason. I have a 95 Windstar and the engine runs better than my 2002 Grand Cherokee. It starts immediately, runs smoothly, doesn't ping (until the MAF sensor gets dirty) and has 120K miles on it (headgaskets went at 80K.)

So no, your Windstar shouldn't ping.

John Del Wolcott, CT

"I'm just trying to get into heaven, I'm not running for Jesus!" Homer Simpson

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Reply to
John Del

Would the cam position sensor cause this as well? I bought the van with the head gasket gone. So I do not know if it pinged before. The new motor has always pinged. Of course the cam position sensor was way off so I adjusted this. Could you tell me on you 3.8 the position of your cam positon sensor. Mine has a window in it and its facing the fire wall. Could you take a pic for me Please. Maybe this is off. Thanks very much Dave.

Reply to
69GT4spdtrac-loc

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Hopefully the compression ratio did not change when the engine was rebuilt. I have heard a good deal of stories about shops milling the heads and decking the block too much and/or using replacement pistons that were not exactly like the originals, resulting in a higher compression ratio. You could always run a simple compression test to get an idea of the cranking compression pressure. Compare your reading to whatever the spec is for that engine. In general though, it should probably be somewhere in the range of

150 - 180 psi. Of course the valve timing (cam position, etc) can effect the cranking compression pressure as well, so indeed make sure the cam / valvetrain is all correct.

Another thing... is there any evidence of burning oil? I've seen some rebuilt engines where the rebuilder did not use the correct valve guide seals causing the engine to burn oil right away. Of course, introducing oil into the combustion chamber will cause detonation (ping).

Hopefully your engine was rebuilt properly. Best of luck. In the meantime, I hope you are using the highest octane that you are able to obtain.

Reply to
Fred

It does ? why ? Never heard of that.

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Reply to
Rein

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Here's a brief excerpt from an aviation article:

"...Oil in the combustion chamber may lower the fuel octane enough to create detonation...Operators of high compression engines should be especially careful about operating with high levels of oil consumption..."

Here's the entire article:

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Also, here's another general race engine building article that talks alot about compression, detonation, etc, and states: "...A very small amount of chamber oil will cause detonation and produce significant horsepower loss..."
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There are many other articles on the web that discuss these issues... just do a search.

I first learned that oil consumption caused detonation when a car I had was detonating... I soon learned that the engine was consuming some degree of oil through the guides... I repaired the guides and the detonation tendencies became noticeably less. I will point out too that an engine that has been burning oil for a while will most likely have a heavy build-up of deposits inside the combustion chambers etc which will only make matters worse. As well, extra oil on the top side of the piston will increase compression pressure a tad more than otherwise by creating a tighter ring seal. So no matter how you slice it, oil getting into the combustion chamber is not a good thing if you are trying to reduce detonation tendencies.

Reply to
Fred

Hi, interesting thought. Thanks. It does not burn any oil yet, anyways. I cleaned the MAF and still pings, I use high octane. After trying low.

Reply to
69GT4spdtrac-loc
69GT4spdtrac-loc opined in news:

Except it's voodoo science... or is that voodo mechanics!

Esp the part about creating a "tighter ring seal". That effect works when running a compression test but it's far less pronounced at running rpm's and is offset by the same effect that allows the oil up in the first place.

The deposits ....lets face it CARBON!!...cause spark knock by eventually increasing compression pressures by lowering top of stroke volume. And by pre-detonation by "glow" ignition... where a fringe of the deposit glows under heavy load. The oil Itself does not really mix, it just burns.

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

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Reply to
Rein

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