I don't post here very often, but I thought I would share that I FINALLY found the problem with my pinging with the 460 in my 69 F100!! It only took me 5 YEARS!!!

A quick history… about 5 years ago I replaced the 460 with a new 460 because the first one had a wrist pin tapping. I had built both engines myself and the new 460 (actually 472) was actually built a little stronger than the first (ported heads, Stealth intake, hotter can, etc). Well from day one, I had a pinging problem and no matter what I did, I could not get rid of it!!! If I set the timing at 0 (YES “0”) and ran premium it would not ping… much!!! I tried fuel issues, timing issues, plug issues, exhaust issues… you name it I tried it. Then I tore into the engine… (I figured maybe I miscalculated the CR and had too high compression. My cranking pressures were in the 190 psi range) So off with it’s heads. I installed two head gaskets per side (which will lower the CR by about 1 point). I had calculated a 9.5:1 ratio with the flat tops and the D2VE heads. So with 8.5 I “should” have been better. Yeah, better… I was able to bump the timing up to a whopping 4 degrees before it would start pinging… with premium. Oh and as expected… I could not even turn over the rear tires…. Hmmmm, no timing, lots of pinging, and no power… imagine that!!!

The only thing left was the cam being ground wrong and building up too much pressure. And yes at this point I was grasping at straws. I didn’t think I could pull the cam with the engine in the truck so I just lived with it and cursed it every time I drove it. I finally said, “Heck I’ll pull the grill and swap in a new cam”… (Oh and in case anyone wants to know, you can “almost” get the cam out without moving the grill… but not quite. But the grill doesn’t have to come all the way out, just forward about 2”)

Anyone care to guess what I found? The intake lobe on #6 cylinder was wiped! I’m 90% sure that the lobe wiped when I first fired the engine. I vaguely remember adjusting the rockers arms a second time because one was very loose and I thought I had missed it. What actually happened was that the lobe wiped and then I adjusted the rocker arm to the wiped lobe. I’m guessing that intake valve was only opening about .1 or .2 inch. Which would make that cylinder run horribly lean…. Which would cause a lean ping….

So now I have the timing set to 10 deg (and I’ll probably bump it up more) one head gasket per side, and it runs like a scalded dog! Yes, there are now two nice black marks in front of my house...

Sorry this is so long, but I am SO psyched that I FINALLY fixed this stinking problem!!! This has been the first vehicle that has ever kicked my butt this badly for so long!! But I WON!!!!

 

congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

thats called persistence

 

Very cool! Glad ya got it goin'. I know the feeling!

 

Now that is a good thing to remember.