Ping...!!!

[35Remmy]

OK, so far I have:

Seafoamed

Intake manifold gaskets, upper/lower

Cleaned MAF sensor

Ran higher octane gas

New plugs/wires

STILL pinging!! Some days it hardly does it, other days it's bad. The only other things I can think of are EGR valve (and and EGR pressure something? I've never heard of it but I found it on autozone.com for my Ranger) and fuel filter.

Any ideas? The 4.0 OHV, I've found, can be a pinging monster!!!

 

[MadExplorer93]

Are you sure its a ping or is it a tick that goes faster when driving up hill and on certain hot days?

 

[35Remmy]

Mad, no I'm definitely pinging. Well, we all know it doesn't literally sound like "ping"...more like if you took two light,metal coat hangers and hit them together lightly or tapped one on the ground multiple times.

Some days it's worse than others. Today it was bad.

 

[Tbars4]

...what year vehicle is this for???..:scratch:

 

[35Remmy]

TBARS, sorry...my '99 Ranger 4.0 OHV

 

[Tbars4]

......i am sure ping will be a common search word...

...i'm not sure on the 99's but i would look at what controls your timing...:scratch:

EDIT: are you sure it is not a tick yet, or maybe an exhaust leak??

 

[MadExplorer93]

I had ping before all last year and until i put new motorcraft plugs in and new wires (not motorcraft wires) and i run 91-94 octane gas, i also seafoamed it about 2-3 weeks ago before changing plugs and wires.

I don't hear any ping any more, but ya never know it may come back. It seemed to go away much more since i put the motorcraft Double Platinum Finewire plugs that are for my vehicle and new wires and that i run 91-94 octane gas from gas stations that sell it.

Oh and i seafoamed the intake before all of that and put 1/3 can of seafoam into gas tank when i only had 1/4 tank left and it helped clean injectors.

 

[35Remmy]

Yeah, it's really common....and almost everyone else has had one of the things I did cure their pinging (4.0)!

Not, it's not an exhaust leak, I'm positive.

 

[MadExplorer93]

35Remmy i edited my post just above your last one to add some more info.

 

[35Remmy]

Mad, thanks for the reply!

I think I may seafoam again.

I have ALWAYS thought about adding seafoam/fuel injector cleaner to only a 1/4 tank and driving around like that since the dilution would be much higher. Just never did.

I can NOT find the Motorcraft double platinums anywhere, at least in any automotive store.

I'm running regular Motorcraft platinums and Autolite professional wires.

Maybe I need the "right" (double platinum, which is the recommended plug) plug?

Hey, is the Explorer still purring like a kitten? I caught up with your thread. Good for you.

 

[MadExplorer93]

Mad, thanks for the reply!

I think I may seafoam again.

I have ALWAYS thought about adding seafoam/fuel injector cleaner to only a 1/4 tank and driving around like that since the dilution would be much higher. Just never did.

I can NOT find the Motorcraft double platinums anywhere, at least in any automotive store.

I'm running regular Motorcraft platinums and Autolite professional wires.

Maybe I need the "right" (double platinum, which is the recommended plug) plug?

Hey, is the Explorer still purring like a kitten? I caught up with your thread. Good for you.

She still is purring like a kitten so far and i even gave her a test run a few times to haul garbage to the local dump and i will do so tomorrow too.

As for Seafoam it is the same bottle you buy for intake, which you can use 1/3 of it into tank to 1/4 of gas.

Do you have a ford dealer in your town so you can buy them directly from them?

I bought mine from Ford for $5.10 CDN each.

I just went to motorcraft.com and the very first one is the ones i am running.

http://www.motorcraft.com/catalog.do

This is the plug list for your 1999 ranger pickup v6 4.0L:

Group - Spark Plugs

AGSF22FM Suppressor Spark Plug
PLATINUM FINEWIRE - NICKEL PLATED SHELL
6100 Suppressor Spark Plug

PLATINUM FINEWIRE - NICKEL PLATED SHELL
SP400 Suppressor Spark Plug .054 GAP

PREMIUM NICKEL ALLOY
SP500 Suppressor Spark Plug
.054 GAP
PLATINUM

 

[35Remmy]

Mad, yes I have a couple Ford dealers within 20 minutes.

I always want to use Motorcraft but the stuff is, a lot of times,out of my budget.

I use to work for a Ford dealer and got the parts at cost. That was great.

I went out for a drive tonight, and sure enough, ping, ping ping.
It's more like a tap-tap-tap----tap-taptaptap...always under load.

Doesn't this sound like the characteristics of pinging? It HAS to be!!!

It sounds like hell (like someone out for a walk would definitely be able to hear it as I pass them) and it's not the greatest thing for the motor.

Pretty soon it's going to the shop.

 

[CDW6212R]

Is it pinging under load, cruising, up hill etc? Does it go away instantly when you left off the gas? Does it lessen ads you drive through it, use more throttle? That's typical pre-ignition, and it is common for the OHV 4.0's. My 93 had it fairly bad near the end, from what I have read you've covered most of it. Usually it was worse when caused by a vacuum leak around the intake, how well have you checked those bolts again?

The plugs I have had in my 99 SOHC for 25k are single platinum Motorcraft, cost about $350 two years ago. Night,

 

[35Remmy]

It does it mostly under load, especially up a hill. Goes away when I let off the gas.

There is NO ping at idle or light load.

Those bolts were torqued on Monday, I will re-torque again on Saturday.

 

[CDW6212R]

I know that there are a lot of parts. Going over the tune up stuff is the easiest thing to do. Other than that I'd bet on either carbon deposits or a vacuum leak. Good luck,

 

[35Remmy]

Mad, just went out to the garage to check the box my Motorcraft plugs were in. They're the same ones you're running. AGSF22FM

 

[SPORTEXP]

I Fixed this problem by reading the spark plugs when removing them on a 91, years ago.
The intake manifold gasket leaked oil into cylinder 3, and needed to be replaced.

 

[35Remmy]

Sport, I just changed my intake manifold gaskets, heh. I thought that would fix the problem.

I was thinking...the last time I seafoamed, I did it twice. The truck BILLOWED smoke BOTH times.

My Wrangler(2.5l 4 cyl) AND my Explorer (5.0) were seafoamed and hardly smoked at ALL. Obviously, I am full of carbon.

I think I'm gonna go buy a couple more cans of seafoam and new plugs and do this until I'm not getting much smoke.

 

[SPORTEXP]

When you changed your intake gasket. What did you change it with? Motorcraft or another brand? How was the gasket constructed, if the other brand?

 

[35Remmy]

SPORT...I used Fel-Pro 2 piece metal gaskets, they actually came in a set with the fuel rail gasket, upper intake manifold gasket and valve cover gaskets.

Fel-Pro says that the 1 piece lower intake gasket is a bad idea because it supposedly holds or lifts the lower intake higher than it should be, resulting in leaks. They say their 2 piece design allows the manifold to sit lower. I honestly don't know the validity of this.

I can tell you that getting the 2 piece gaskets to stay in place while you finagle the intake manifold into place is a major PITA.