Hello everyone,

My baja seems to be pinging. It will start 20mins into a drive and during acceleration. Accelerating slowing eleviates the pinging but I'm not sure wether it's due to incorrect timing or another heat sorce causing detonation. If its the timing, which way do you turn the distributor to retard pinging? What is more likely to cause pinging, timing or air/fuel mixture?

Thanks,
Nick.

[Edited on 23-1-2003 by Jo Mama]

Hey nick,
To retard the timing you would turn the distibutor the same way the rotor turns which, is clockwise I think. Do you know how to do static timing? here's some info: http://www.geocities.com/aussiebug1970/tune-up.html 

As for what causes pinging, it could also be a few other things, it could have the wrong spark plugs, or excessive carbon build-up, or it could also just be running too hot. What sort of engine is it?

Pat,
I don't know the size of it but it has been bored since it came with a breather kit. My mechanic thinks it might be more than 2ltrs.

Whatever you do, don't keep pushing it when it's pinging. As Pat suggested, retard it a bit. I had a bit of a problem with pinging on the kombi while I was interstate last year and just kept tweaking the timing until the pinging stopped. Sure I lost some power, but it prevented any serious damage being done and got me home safely.

Try running premium unleaded fuel before rooting around with any settings mate. Low octane is a big source of pinging so the premium might be a 'quick fix' with the added bonus of a bit more zip to your motor.

I use a techinique that was recommended by the factory when I was running MG midgets. But 1st eliminate the other problems esp the fuel.
Lucas distributors had a vernier screw to make fine adjustments to timing "in the field". I went to a long climbing road where I knew it would ping then retarded the ignition one or two clicks on the vernier then re-tested under identical conditions. You've got to keep test conditions as constant as possible. You can do that with a VW too but adjustments are a bit coarser cos there's no vernier. Use some liquid paper to make a ref point so you know how far you've adjusted it.
Have you tested the compression? One of my midgets would NEVER stop pinging. I don't know what the PO had done to the motor but when I tested it it had 250psi on each pot! ( 160psi was good!) With oversize carbies it's no wonder the little bugger used to go like a cut cat!!

I've adjusted the timing and it seems ok now. It got me thinking that timing would contribute to pinging more so than a lean running engine.

I also think too advanced timing=pinging B4 other stuff. If the mixture was so lean, other symptoms would show up 1st like poor idling & over heating big time.