How to eliminate PING

[steveissteven]

It has been quite some time since my last post, but I still see there are quite a few discussions regarding Engine PING.

I too have dealt with the dreaded PING (power loss/engine bogging). Regardless of who I had look at my vehicle ('93 Explorer Sport 4.0), no one could offer a solution to my problem. Sure... everyone agreed the Engine Pinged like crazy, but no one had a fix other than "Try Running A Few Bottles Of Injector Cleaner!" I found this somewhat amusing considering I just had all of my injectors replaced with new ones from the dealer (Ford seemed to think my injectors were bad - it still did not eliminate the PING!).....

So I have indeed felt the frustration that many of you here continue to experience.... Until recently!!!

Here is the GUARANTEED way to eliminate PING:

First of all, PING is caused by an excessive amount of CARBON build-up

Now depending on how bad your vehicle PINGS (amount of carbon build-up in your engine), the below solution may need to be repeated as many as 4-5 times. My vehicle was quite bad, and I needed to perform the following 5 times (Possibly over-kill, but I wanted to be sure I cured it)

There is a product available at NAPA (Haven't seen it anywhere else) called "SEA FOAM"

If your engine is on the severe side (PINGS like HELL), I recommend purchasing about 7 cans of this product (It runs about $5.99 per can.

On a low tank of gas add 1 can, and then fill your tank half way / repeat this 2 more times once each 1/2 tank of gas has been used.

Add 1/2 a can to your Engine Oil

And finally - With engine at Normal Operating Temperature and Engine Running - Add 1/2 can of the Sea Foam through your PVC Valve - Again Engine Must Be running to ensure that Manifold Vacuum is able to suck the Sea Foam into the combustion chamber. Add it slowly or vehicle will die! Immediately after adding the Sea Foam - shut the vehicle off and let it sit for 15 minutes (The can says 5, but again... a serious case requires a longer time period)

After having let it sit for the 15 minutes, start your vehicle (There will be lots of white smoke out the exhaust - this is the Carbon being removed from your engine) Rev the engine for a while... or even drive it until the smoke clears - in my case this took about 5 minutes)

Repeat this procedure using only 1/2 a can at a time until your motor blows minimul smoke. I recommend doing this twice a day - like afternoon and evening -

Follow the above solution and you too will be as happy as I am...

"Sea Foam" is a great product

My vehicle has never ran better - I still use regular octane fuel (87) and ultimately.........


I HAVE NO PING WHATESOEVER!!!

Good luck!!!

Steven

 

[kkreit01]

Very interesting. Thanks for the info. Should a '00 4.0 OHV have that much carbon build-up with < 15K mi? I notice ping on my Ex under war --> hot weather, and under mild loads (up hills with A/C on, etc). I put premium gas in, and it quit. I'll try a few tanks of higher octane gas, and then go back to regular. It that doesn't work, I'll go to my local Napa store. Is ping bad/hard on your engine, or is it just a nuisance? I do have a KKM, but that's my only engine mod. Thanks!

 

[steveissteven]

With less than 15 thousand miles - unlikely that Carbon has had a chance to really build up

High octane gas does not cure engine PING / only hides it...

Is PING bad / over time yes.... PING causes your engine to run LEAN

I would recommend a can anyway... if used regularly - say every 5-10 thousand miles... you should run clean with no PING

 

[88vert]

Thanks i will have to try that mine pings pretty good

 

[5.0Dad]

My 5.0 pinged off and on over the year that I've had it. Most of the time a bottle of injector cleaner would improve the situation for a while. Then recently on a weekend trip I got a CEL for lean burn condition and you guessed it ping. The cure, new fuel filter. Restriction in the filter was reducing pressure at the injectors and causing the lean burn condition, which caused ping. Since replacing the filter I have been able to drop the octane back without pinging. Moral of the story, check the cheap part.

 

[kkreit01]

I also shouldn't need a fuel filter at 15K mi either? Unless our gas is really bad around here. I've also read someone hinting that it could be caused by the hot air from the KKM. However, there was that other thread where the air wasn't actually "hot". I also fabricated a heat shield around my KKM, and that didn't help.

 

[5.0Dad]

I'm reading within a couple of degrees of ambient temp w/ the KKM. Since the air tube runs over the radiator hose, I wrapped it w/ heat reflective tape but I don't think that really does much.

A dirty MAF could possibly cause ping. If it is not properly reading the volume of air, the mixture could be off. The only other cause of ping I know of is to run too much advance, premature detonation, which we can't control. Unless, there could be a problem w/ a crank position sensor or something like that.

 

[ric232]

Sorry for the dumb question, but where is the PCV valve on the 5.0L ?? I want to try the Sea Foam trick this way. I've already sprayed it into the throttle body with the engine running at fast idle. Smoked some, but probably not enough.

 

[jsun]

Originally posted by steveissteven
Add 1/2 a can to your Engine Oil

Thanks for the feedback from your results!!!

One question though?

Would an oil change be required if this "sea foam" is added to the engine oil?

Will this break down the additives within the oil?

Thanks!

J...
(pinging and heading down to napa this weekend)

 

[MattPersman]

Originally posted by kkreit01
I also shouldn't need a fuel filter at 15K mi either? Unless our gas is really bad around here.

if you run your vehicle close to E alot 1/8 tank or less you will need fuel filters a lot more often. the lower you get the more junk you are picking up that settles to the bottom of the tank

also if you make habit of this in the summer, fuel pumps die a lot sooner

 

[TAS98xlt]

Originally posted by ric232
Sorry for the dumb question, but where is the PCV valve on the 5.0L ?? ...

http://www.steven-west.com/explorer/explorer_pcv.htm

 

[Billy177]

you may want to look into a new oxygensensor

 

[David Barnes]

fuel filters

I replace the fuel filter in my 99 sohc every 15k miles no matter what. Actually this is stated as so in the ford manual, (at least for my truck - 99 Sport with 4.0 SOHC).