Wanted!!! Pics of Octane Shorting Block

[Possumz]

Wanted!!! Pics of Octane Shorting Block

I have checked said locations as per threads i searched and i cannot locate one on my 91 EB 4x4.
Deron

Pics Please

 

[Robb]

I can't provide pics, sorry.

The bar itself just looks like a grey, oversized fuse.

The harness that it plugs into should be located in the rear of the engine compartment, close to the OBD Diagnosis harness.

 

[Chew_12]

Robb is right it should be in the upper left hand corner of your engine. What is the problem that you are having?

 

[Maniak]

Octane plug on our '92

It is in the rear/passenger side area.. I had to dig mine up.. It near the EEC-IV diagnostic connector.

This area... (I have it pulled up in this pic)

Normally, messing with this is only a bandaid to another issue.. so pulling it to fix problem doesn't normally work..

~Mark

 

[Possumz]

Thanks for the pic. Now i have to find one.
Deron

 

[Robb]

I have installed these of vehicles that didn't have one, and removed them from vehicles that did. I have never seen any difference in anything.

I did a little work on a company '94 Explorer just last week, and while getting the codes for it, I noticed the octane shortening plug with a bunch of electrical tape wrap on it. When I removed the tape, I found that a cotter pin had been rigged into the plug. I removed the rig and ran the truck, noticed nothing. Just because something had been there, I slapped a spare bar that I had in there, noticed no difference.

If you are looking for a shortening bar to fix a problem that you have, it probably won't fix it.

 

[Bwana Bob]

Is the "Octane plug" the same as the "spout cnnector", or are these 2 different shorting plugs. The spout connector is unplugged when checking the timing. My understanding is that it either retards the timing by 3 degrees, or disables the automatic advance. Anybody know for sure?

Bob

 

[Brett F.]

What is it really supposed to do?

I have to run premium or mid grade in my 93 otherwise I get spark knock. Could this be one of the reasons.

I seafoam it at every other oil change and it helps but I still cannot run regular unleaded.

 

[Maniak]

Pulling the octane shorting block is supposed to retard the timing. You are supposed to use that if you are getting really bad gas (e.g. watery)...

If you are pinging just driving around (and its not 110F out) then you have an issue to fix.. Pulling the shorting plug might help, but it is a bandaid, not a fix.

You could have a bad mixture (dirty MAF, unmetered air into the engine etc).. Bad vacuum lines (leaks), carbon build up (seafoam can only do so much)..

I used seafoam quite a bit on our engine (ok, maybe 5 or 6 times in just over 200k miles).. When I pulled the heads (had a spark plug explode and ding a valve) I took a 3" sanding disk to the tops of the pistons and clean up all the carbon from the valves and heads (there was more in there than I expected).. The motor no longer pings unless it is very hot out (105F plus) and I'm running cheaper gas (I only run Exxon and Chevron now.. most other gas I will get ping on very hot days on longer uphill climbs (not even steep)).

~Mark

 

[Brett F.]

Thanks Mark.

I plan on putting a high flow air filter in this weekend and clean the MAF sensor. Mybe that will help.

 

[Bwana Bob]

Pulling the octane shorting block is supposed to retard the timing. You are supposed to use that if you are getting really bad gas (e.g. watery)...

If you are pinging just driving around (and its not 110F out) then you have an issue to fix.. Pulling the shorting plug might help, but it is a bandaid, not a fix.

You could have a bad mixture (dirty MAF, unmetered air into the engine etc).. Bad vacuum lines (leaks), carbon build up (seafoam can only do so much)..

I used seafoam quite a bit on our engine (ok, maybe 5 or 6 times in just over 200k miles).. When I pulled the heads (had a spark plug explode and ding a valve) I took a 3" sanding disk to the tops of the pistons and clean up all the carbon from the valves and heads (there was more in there than I expected).. The motor no longer pings unless it is very hot out (105F plus) and I'm running cheaper gas (I only run Exxon and Chevron now.. most other gas I will get ping on very hot days on longer uphill climbs (not even steep)).

~Mark

Yes, I'm fighting an endless battle against ping. Seafoam helps a lot and so does Techron, and I clean the MAF periodically, but I still get the ping in hot weather and going up hill when its hot. I did find that too wire a spark plug gap will cause it to ping, too.

My friend with a '95 never gets pinged, so I really believe that the engine knock is inherent in the OHV engine design. Maybe Ford tuned it for maximum fuel economy and it runs a little too lean. I remember reading that Rick had the ping in hot weather until he put in "the chip". maybe there's a way to fake out the MAF or the ACT sensor to make it run a little richer when its hot.

For the summer I'm running 89 octane which still deosn't completely cure the problem, but running 1/2 premium does cure it, but who want's to pay premium prices, even for half a tank?



Bob

 

[Maniak]

Tricking the intake temp sensor won't help... It will richen the mixture, but it will also advance the timing (I've tried that already)...

I started to get a little ping on the last tank of gas.. which was Shell ... This tank I put Chevron back in and no more pinging..

The chip idea should work... You could get a chip and have the richen the mixture which would take care of the current problem if you can't find what is really causing it (Or can't fix it easily).

~Mark

 

[Bwana Bob]

Tricking the intake temp sensor won't help... It will richen the mixture, but it will also advance the timing (I've tried that already)...

I started to get a little ping on the last tank of gas.. which was Shell ... This tank I put Chevron back in and no more pinging..

The chip idea should work... You could get a chip and have the richen the mixture which would take care of the current problem if you can't find what is really causing it (Or can't fix it easily).

~Mark

Interesting about Shell vs. Chevron gas. It seems that all gasolines are not equal. Any time I used Getty gas, the Ex would start pinging right away. The OHV engine must be more sensitive.

I wonder if a colder thermostat or colder plugs would help? Probably not.

Bob

 

[92fordexplorerxl]

I noticed there are no pictures of the shorting block. I need to remove mine I guess; I am running a 341 code. I can't figure out which one it is. While hooked up to the obd I pulled multiple wires and checked but it still ran a 341. My best guess is it is a plug with a cap on it, when I take the cap off there is 2 female holes but only one male end on the plug, the cap is not connected to anything, more like a dust cover. My mpg went from 15-17 to around 10-12 after I got my tranny done. I think the guy at the tranny shop installed the plug w/out telling me or even noticing himself because when I asked they did not know what I was talking about. I have done a lot of things to this 92 explorer xl since getting the mpg change and went from pulling like 5 or 6 codes to now just pulling a 341 and 111. All I got is a wiring diagram but it doesn't help.
-James.

 

[Currency]

Interesting post. Will have to keep an eye on this as I too have a ping.

Mine generally happens more during summer and yes, while going up hills. When I first got my explorer I had a really, really, bad knock going up hills. I was told it was main bearings. Ran some lucas and it's not made that noise for awhile but still does sometimes, not very often.

I have been dealing with that ping a lot recently. Going to watch this thread and where I buy my gas from. Generally Sprint or Swifty, Switfy is a we pump it place no goodies as you can't go in the buildings, most of the time. Local company based about 35 miles from Bedford. If you pump it you save like $0.04 per gallon.

 

[jd4242]

Interesting about Shell vs. Chevron gas. It seems that all gasolines are not equal. Any time I used Getty gas, the Ex would start pinging right away. The OHV engine must be more sensitive.

I wonder if a colder thermostat or colder plugs would help? Probably not.

Bob

try NGK TR6 plugs,they are one step colder.you must have alot of build up.you could get real crazy with it,make sure your piston is at tdc and get a nipple,hose and screw it into the spark plug hole and fill it with sea foam.let sit over night and do each one like that and hose needs to go up higher than the headshouldnt have to say but drain it out before you start it and dont do it to a hot motor

 

[jd4242]

try NGK TR6 plugs,they are one step colder.you must have alot of build up.you could get real crazy with it,make sure your piston is at tdc and get a nipple,hose and screw it into the spark plug hole and fill it with sea foam.let sit over night and do each one like that and hose needs to go up higher than the headshouldnt have to say but drain it out before you start it and dont do it to a hot motor

ive seen people do this and then take a pipe cleaner brush right after and stick it in the hole and scrub it wile it was still soft and wet.very important that its at tdc thought.also gota change you oil after all of them have been done.