motor ratteling when i accelerate
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Joined: Sep 2009
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motor ratteling when i accelerate
I have an 85 302 thats rattels sumtimes when i put a load on the motor or if i go up a hill, plus i have no power the fastest i can go is about 55mph what could be wrong? im sure its in time idk what it would be
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 509
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From: Casper, Wyoming
I'd also check to make sure the radiator was full of coolant (so it can't run hot) and look for vacuum leaks. A vacuum leak would give the engine a lean fuel/air ratio, which can make the engine knock.
Frank
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Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Virginia
I would check the heat riser valve if you have one. It's the valve in one of the exhaust pipes leaving the engine. If it's stuck shut, it's going to zap the power of the engine, and it also going to make the engine run a little hot.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
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From: Northern California
Check everything that previous posters have mentioned earlier, and if all that checks out... a few more ideas...
Check for an exaust restriction like a clogged catalytic converter...
Check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge...
Check engine compression...
Check for an exaust restriction like a clogged catalytic converter...
Check the oil pressure with a mechanical gauge...
Check engine compression...
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From: Virginia
I had the same problem when I installed headers on my 351w. The main problem was the headers reduced the backpressure so much, the EGR wasn't working properly anymore. So this is what I tried;
1. Colder rated sparkplugs-didn't make much difference.
2. Richer jets in the carb-little bit of difference in the pinging, but didn't totally go away. But richer jets really made a difference in how it ran down the road, big improvement in that department. But I was running the stock carb, if you are running a aftermarket carb, you jetting is probably ok.
3. Changed from a 195 degree thermostat to a 180. This fixed it. Most all the pinging went away when I changed the thermostat to a cooler one.
I could have retarded the timing to help the pinging, but I always seem to lose power when I do this, and my dist was stuck and would not turn anyway, so I left the timing at the stock setting(I did check it and it was at the stock setting).
1. Colder rated sparkplugs-didn't make much difference.
2. Richer jets in the carb-little bit of difference in the pinging, but didn't totally go away. But richer jets really made a difference in how it ran down the road, big improvement in that department. But I was running the stock carb, if you are running a aftermarket carb, you jetting is probably ok.
3. Changed from a 195 degree thermostat to a 180. This fixed it. Most all the pinging went away when I changed the thermostat to a cooler one.
I could have retarded the timing to help the pinging, but I always seem to lose power when I do this, and my dist was stuck and would not turn anyway, so I left the timing at the stock setting(I did check it and it was at the stock setting).
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 56,984
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From: Virginia
If it does, I have been down this road before on another engine I had (302). It seems the factory sets the static timing very conservative, and then runs lots of advance with the vacuum. When I modified my engine(higher compression pistons, 4bbl, etc) I used the stock dist and I found the vacuum advance was going overboard in that department. I just ran it with the vacuum disconnected, but I was going to buy an adjustable vacuum advance for it, but I never got around to it before I pulled that engine out.
The vacuum advance is for fuel mileage only, it won't hurt anything else to run it disconnected.