Pinging

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ossieoz
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Pinging

Post by ossieoz »

I’ve heard quite a few times mentioned ’pinging’... what is this exactly?


1961 Greenbrier, 1962 Rampside and 1964 Monza cab.
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terribleted
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Re: Pinging

Post by terribleted »

Knocking (also knock, detonation, spark knock, pinging or pinking) in spark-ignition internal combustion engines occurs when combustion of the air/fuel mixture in the cylinder does not start off correctly in response to ignition by the spark plug, but one or more pockets of air/fuel mixture explode outside the envelope ...

In a Corvair it is heard as a multiple knock, or rattle coming from the engine when accelerating under load. It can destroy your engine over time if left untreated. Most common causes are poor fuel (low octane), timing set too far advanced or a fuel mixture that is set too lean. You can hear what it sounds like by advancing your timing and starting from a stop on a hill or otherwise lugging the engine from a stop, or perhaps by staring out in second gear with a standard trans. Best performance on most Corvair engines is with the timing advanced to a point just lower than the point where the engine pings under these conditions.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
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Wagon Master
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Re: Pinging

Post by Wagon Master »

Hearing is worth a thousand words. If your car is set at optimum ignition timing, with a sharpie mark a line from the dist. base to the rear housing. Loosen dist., start engine and rotate dist. ccw about 3/8" on your mark. Take a SHORT drive up the street and accelerate with half throttle to about 35 mph. What your hearing is ping. Reset dist. back to your original mark and tighten.
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ossieoz
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Re: Pinging

Post by ossieoz »

Wagon Master wrote: Hearing is worth a thousand words. If your car is set at optimum ignition timing, with a sharpie mark a line from the dist. base to the rear housing. Loosen dist., start engine and rotate dist. ccw about 3/8" on your mark. Take a SHORT drive up the street and accelerate with half throttle to about 35 mph. What your hearing is ping. Reset dist. back to your original mark and tighten.
Thanks :)


1961 Greenbrier, 1962 Rampside and 1964 Monza cab.
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terribleted
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Re: Pinging

Post by terribleted »

This of course assumes of course that it is not pinging already.
Corvair guy since 1982. I have personally restored at least 20 Vairs, many of them restored ground up.
Currently working full time repairing Corvairs and restoring old cars.
https://www.facebook.com/tedsautorestoration/

Located in Snellville, Georgia
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thewolfe
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Re: Pinging

Post by thewolfe »

They are also more prone to pinging with higher intake air temperatures. So on a hot day going up a hill with too advanced timing, poor fuel, lean mix, and lots of boost(if you're turbo'd) you're going to have major pinging!
Nate Wolfe
65 Corsa 180
61 Lakewood 140
Vamisk
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Re: Pinging

Post by Vamisk »

Oops, might have had an episode where I've done that by not downshifting from 3rd after going around a sharp turn.
In my defense I can do 25 mph pretty good In 4th thanks to the 4.11s.
1961 110hp Monza coupe
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