400 Pinging
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2003
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400 Pinging
My new 400 pings a lot on 87 octane & just a little on 92. It went form 351m to 400. I added an RV cam, E-brock performer intake & 600cfm 4 barrel, & dual exhaust. I kept all emissions stuff including egr. I replaced the original duraspark with another of the same. I would like it to run on 87. What do I need to do to try to accomplish this? You guys are definitely the ones that would know!
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 843
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From: USA
Start by examining yur timing. Too much advance will make you ping. I had to adjust the vacuum advance on mine to get it to stop pinging during mid throttle acceleration. Make sure your initial advance is set with the vacuum disconnected, and maybe loose a degree or 2, and then start dialing back your vacuum dashpot. Also, make sure your EGR valve is opening like it is supposed to. It's a trial and error thing. Hope this helps.
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Junior User
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I assume that the vacuum dashpot adjustment you are talking about is where you pull the line off of the dashpot & use an allen wrench to adjust? Is that right? If so, anyone know what size allen wrench & by backing it off should I assume counterclockwise to start. Thanks!
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,561
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From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
loosen up the dist retainer bolt enough so you can just barely move the dist, and go for a ride. if it pings, back off on the timing a tad. go for a ride. repeat till it no longer pings at full throttle. you also have to reset the fuel/air mixture screws after ping stops to get everything tuned properly. then try to start without touching the gas pedal. it should fire off with one or two revolutions of the crank. it took me a week to get mine set rite, but it is worth it in the end.
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Hotshot
Joined: May 2003
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From: south louisiana
I've never seen a 400 that didn't ping Yea backing off the timing helps the ping, but at the expense of power. Problem with em is zero quench. 
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Junior User
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Looks like the advise Gary gave was what I needed. I took the 1/8" allen wrench & ended up backing the vacuum dashpot out the entire way. I am now able to run 87 octane while advanced to 14 degrees. Cover calls for 12. Was running like a champ, then I got into it really hard & lost everything. It shut down & I haven't had time to look into it. I have spark & fuel. I have a feeling I lost another distributor gear. Second one in a year. Any advice on something that can take more than the stock duraspark II?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,270
Likes: 5
From: Delaware
Have you looked at Procomp? They have an MSD knockoff, and a HEI type if you want to go in that direction.
http://www.procompelectronics.com/Files/4.html
I am using a TFI version on my EFI conversion 400.
http://www.procompelectronics.com/Files/4.html
I am using a TFI version on my EFI conversion 400.
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Junior User
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Well, my mechanic changed the dist. gear, cranked it & got another broken gear. Turns out the oil pump is locked up. Do you guys think the dist. locked up the oil pump or did the locked up oil pump break the gear? Motor is under warranty from Jasper if the oil pumped caused the problem. Mechanic says that peices from the gear could have locked the pump. Trying to keep from getting a hosing. Any input & advice is needed.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11,141
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From: south louisiana
I doubt the locked pump was due to pieces of the distributor gear, but that's always a possibility. More likely the pump locked first from some other forein object then the dist gear went. It should have just sheared the gear's roll pin though I would think.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
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A locked up pump is what breaks distributor gears not the other way around. Unfortunately it is easy to lock up a pump with gasket sealer or silicone drippings etc.
These engines have a bad reputation for pinging that is due to many people disabling the EGR for more power (when the EGR has nothing to do with power) then not resetting the vacuum advance properly. The open chambers are not the best for ping reduction but the quench area in other designs are horrible for emissions. The modern computer designed swirl combustion is much better.
These engines have a bad reputation for pinging that is due to many people disabling the EGR for more power (when the EGR has nothing to do with power) then not resetting the vacuum advance properly. The open chambers are not the best for ping reduction but the quench area in other designs are horrible for emissions. The modern computer designed swirl combustion is much better.
Last edited by Torque1st; Apr 1, 2006 at 08:45 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 11,141
Likes: 25
From: south louisiana
If you think the EGR system doesn't affect power, then I'd invite you to drive the truck I do now. 500 Cummins with EGR vs the one I was in before with a 430 Cat without EGR. The Cat wins hands down in the accelleration and pulling dept. Introducing exhaust gas into the intake charge does affect the power output. You may be confusing this with the A.I.R. injection system, that pumps clean air into the exhaust.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 30,255
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We are not talking diesel engines here we are talking the 335 series 351M/400 engines built in the 70's etc. At WOT (max power) the EGR system was off on the the subject engines. This has been discussed here many times. Please avoid confusion and limit our discussion to the engines at hand. Diesel engine systems can be discussed in their specific forums. Your cooperation will be appreciated.