Just bought a B3500 Ram Conversion Van. Am using hi-test now with reduced pinging, but am wondering if adjustments need to be made to lessen pinging even more? Have replaced plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. Any suggestions.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>Quote: Originally posted by OldRod on 22 June 2003
<HR>
Just bought a B3500 Ram Conversion Van. Am using hi-test now with reduced pinging, but am wondering if adjustments need to be made to lessen pinging even more? Have replaced plugs, plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. Any suggestions.
<HR>
</BLOCKQUOTE>
Pinging like that is usually associated with carbon buildup and basically creates a hot spot in the combustion chamber and at the same time lowers the volume of it thus raising the compression and making it knock. How many miles does it have on it. I'm willing to bet that the motor has alot of carbon built up on the valve faces and the piston domes. First thing, if you are puttingoff brand gas in it then you might be setting yourself up for failure. I still with strictly ChevronwhenI can even though it might cost a fewcents more but it has never done me wrong. What I recommend doingNapa sells this stuff called Sea Foam. Follow the instructions on the bottle. It'sgonna tell youto flood the motor out with it ect ect and to let it sit for 10 minutes I think and also putsomein the tank and if you are feeling frisky put it in the oil too. This stuff works real good on pulling carbon offjust about anything. I know GM dealers use it all the time to clean the CPI assemblies of the 4.3 V6 motors and so on. I imagine it will pull alot of the junk out of your motor too.

 

Hey Kossuth, thanks for reply. You are probably right. Van I bought has 62k on it. Cylinder 5-8 plugs were beyond bad! Not black though. I will buy some Seafoam and try it out. Am getting ready take a 6k trip. I might try some in gasoline too.

 

<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=2>Try putting a gas additive in it.</FONT></P>


</P>


</P>


</P>


<FONT color=red face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=4>If you can't <FONT color=black>DODGE </FONT><FONT color=red>it ......</FONT></FONT></P>


<FONT color=#ff0000 face=Arial size=4> <FONT color=black>RAM </FONT><FONT color=red>it !!!!!!</FONT></FONT></P>

 

How about changing the thermostat to 160 degrees? Any comments?

 

I personally wouldn't do that. Yeah it may solve the pinging but provided this is a fuel injected vehicle the PCM/ECM will freak out more likely than not. The truck is designed to run at a certain temperaturefor fuel table calculations.You want the truck to go into closed loop operation which it will never ever do if it is expecting to come up to 195 which is the operating temp of almostall the newer vehicles. Basicallywhat the truck will do is consume more fuel and possibly throw a DTC or (Diagnostic trouble code) or SES light to the home mechanic. Get some of that top end cleaner in it and see if that cleans it out and do a few times through the throttle body then put the rest of it in the gas. If it continues to ping then your problems obviously somewhere else. Start simple and cheap and go from there.</P>

 

Pinging is usually caused by too much fuel being dumped in or timing being off. I can't imagine that a motor with 62k has that much carbon build up.

 

what year van?there is a pcm update to reduce pinging, you can feel the power go away though
the timing will also read good until you flash the pcm,+or-3 degrees

 

Check your vacuum hoses for leaks. You may want to just change them all at one time. and get the old timing light out. and check the timing.. Can't hurt. They make a big difference

 

Id stay away from that... it's called the Death Flash and it sucks. You might want to check your plenum gasket to see if it's leaking. Look down the throttle body and see if there is any oil pooling on the bottom of the intake. if there is, go get an aluminum plenum kit and slap it in there and you'll be all set. Pinging is one of the signs of a bad plenum gasket and they are **** to failure because of the steel plate mounted on the aluminum manifold.