i have a rebuilt 2.9 about 15 years old with 150,000 miles on it it pings bad going up hills, do i need to change to premium gas after all these years?

 

HI at 150T miles it is most likely time for a new timing chain. You can try premium but if it works would only be a temp fix.. You could also try adjusting the timing..

good luck take care be safe
tim

 

Lots of unknowns can cause this problem, so lets think about this some more. Is this 15 year old 3.0L in your 02 Ranger??? If so, is the 150 K miles on the engine alone & if so, how many Total miles on the truck???
Did the ping problem come about slowly over time, or suddenly after some event???
Scan for trouble code clues, including pending codes if you don't have a CEL Lit & post All code Numbers as they can help focus a trouble shoot.
More beginning thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

its a 1988 2.9 seems to start and run okay until i go up any hill even a slight hill, it never pings on level ground? i am thinking about using premium gas even though it 40 cents a gallon more...

 

Lets think about this some more, as previously asked, It might be helpful to know if this problem came about slowly over time, or suddenly after some event, like an off-road outing, maintenance service, repair, or accident, etc. ???

Trying some higher-octane fuel may help in the Short term, but long-term Ford says it could cause additional problems with engine deposits, as our engines Aren't high compression & the valve & spark timing Isn't Optimized for high octane fuel, so it doesn't all get burned before the exhaust valve opens & dumps it down-stream for the cat converter to finish processing, causing it to operate hotter than designed for....all a vicious circle!!!

So, consider beginning a trouble-shoot to try & determine the Root cause of this ping problem. It could be bad gas, vacuum leak, mucked up spark timing, dirty fuel injectors giving a lean squirt, clogged up air filter, stuck open PCV valve or cracked rubber hose or loose-fitting, or other vacuum hose or gasket leak corrupting the air / fuel ratio lean, wrong heat range spark plugs, worn water pump vanes not circulating enough coolant, along with engine cooling system deposits causing hot spots, to.... well you get the idea. Look for trouble code clues & give some feed-back on how this started & maybe the forum can make a more focused suggestion for where best to begin looking for the Root cause of the ping. More beginning thoughts for consideration.

 

the engine does not overheat it runs right where it has for 30 years, and it will ping right after i start it when the engine is not even warm yet.

 

If it pings on a cold start, maybe begin with checking spark advance with your inductive timing light.

 

so does anyone have a grade or brand of gas that they feel works better than others? on my 88 2.9 i have 406,000 miles 150,000 on the rebuilt motor. and about 80% of the gas i used is arco or safeway or 711....always regular gas. any thoughts?

 

HI,
I second the timing .. Check you timing.. even 1* to much well make it ping ... try dialing it back a little and see if it stops..

good luck take care be safe
tim

 

any ideas on how to pull any codes on this engine? ive never done it so i dont even have a timing light lol!

 

HI You wold have to get a code reader.. Or I think like Autozone or one like it well read codes for you.. and you would need to buy a timing light.. to reset timing..

good luck take care be safe
tim

 

Your 88 is OBD-1 diagnostics, so you don't need a code reader or scan-tool to extract pending or set trouble code clues But the suggested inexpensive OBD-1 code reader is much easier & more accurate to use than these hook-up ideas if funds are tight, to have the in dash CEL = Check Engine Light flash the codes, or a 12 volt LED, small wattage 12 volt incandescent lamp, 12 volt buzzer, or a analog multi-meter, flash, wink, blink, buzz, or wave the codes, whichever you can afford or find is easier to interpret. Ford OBD/OBD2 Codes – TroubleCodes.net
Post All code Numbers as they can help focus a trouble shoot. More thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.