AS per the title…
Some thoughts that it may be the ‘winter fuel’ chemistry?
Wondering whether to try adding this to the fuel first to try and eridicate the ‘pinking’ before Sean tries to weave his magic on the mapping! (Top man!)
Won’t do any harm (I used “Millers” in my EVO V1) How much does it cost these days?
Provided you don’t use max revs, you should be okay in any event, Pete. Given the present weather conditions, you’re unlikely to be ragging it, I would have thought
The pinking is only at lowish RPM… so ‘ragging it’ is not problem! Provided the roads are dry and salt free I am sure a good blast with really cold air is worth it!
Hulfurds sell various guises of the stuff for about �6 per tank… so that should last some time eh!
Sean did suggest that it seems ‘odd’ that this problem has only recently started… so I am hoping it is just a fuel issue
My VHPD used to occasionally “pink” at low revs, under load ie using a higher gear than ideal. It was less prone to this if Shell Optimax (V Power) was in the tank.
I may be wrong, but I thought that “pinking” was only potentially harmful at higher revs, when there is a danger of the detonation causing damage to the pistons/rings/valves. No doubt someone with a better understanding than me will clarify!
Whenever possible, I now use my local Tesco to fill up both the Exige & the Frogmobile, with 99 octane fuel - “down” to 96p per litre earlier this week.
Edit: Had a spare 5 mins & found this via Google: Engine knocking - Wikipedia
A while ago one of the magazines or TV shows did a test on octane boosters. As I remember the used a K on a bench for the tests, and were looking to see if there was any extra power. In all cases the fuel with the octane booster dropped power over straight petrol.
They did say that there may be other benefits to the adatives on older engines, such as cleaning valves etc, but give most fuels now come with these types of cleansers straight from the pump I cant see the point myself.
But if it stops your pinking then go for in
Can I ask what ‘pinking’ means ?
Thanks.
Pre ignition, resulting in a distinctive pinking noise.
It will make the fuel more detonation resistant, but mapping is the long term fix.
I used to use it in the JDM STI4 and 5 which I had. Those cars are mapped for 100 RON though.
It won’t give you more power though, so it’s a waste of money on that front.
Can I ask what ‘pinking’ means ?
Thanks.
A (very) long time ago, in a land far far away… (OZ)
My dad took me out in our yellow 1963 Mini 850. 848cc. 4 speed with no synchro between 2 and 1. (That did mean you actually learnt how to double de-clutch!!! ie: 2nd… clutch in. neutral, cluth out, rev engine to meet the expected rpm in 1st, clutch in, select 1st, clutch out!!!)… and all of that in the wink of an eye!
I learnt how to drive in the car… JUZ 513. Registered in Melbourne, Australia. I also learnt how to tinker (took the head off to re-grind the valves that were about the size of a 1p coin!!!) and also how to tune the single 1 1/4 inch SU carb…
Most importantly… how to set the timing! Got the strobe light out and twisted the distributor cap to advance or retard the ignition timing to the desired place.
To get the most power, the ignition was advanced as much as poss… until you heard (as my dad said) ‘pinking’. This was a characteristic ‘rattle’… rather like the sound of breaking glass heard through a wall. This noise I was told was actually the noise of the piston rings rattling as the spark ignited too far before the piston had reached the top of the compression stroke, causing an explosion that actually conspired to sap power as the poor old piston rings took the brunt of the shock wave.
The timing was then backed off just a tad to stop this!
Fast forward to 2008… still tinkering (and still double de-clutching… old habits!!!)… and now the Emerald has been mapped to get the timing as far advanced as possible for the most power out of the K… Except I cannot move the distributor cap anymore… this is now done on the ignition page of the Emerald software.
Nothing has changed since the original mapping done in the spring… except perhaps the fuel quality… more volatile for those cold winter mornings… so now my spark goes bang too early and I hear that ‘pinking’ I have not heard for all those years since my 850!
Thats the story. Octane booster may help as it will make the fuel more resistant to this pre ignition…
Back in the old days we used ‘Redex’!
Pete.
Pete …
Tuning cars in year gone by using stopwatches and rotating the dizzy was great fun and taught us loads…
Most important thing I learn’t was to advance as much as possible to get the best performance … BUT … the moment REPEAT… THE MOMENT!..pinking occurred your power was hammered … Big time ! (cant emphasise this enough)
Not as much fun these days tho with the ECU getting in the way…
Still get to play with the Aero engines tho as the unreliability of electronics is unwelcome in the air !
I still run on twin Bing carbs
And magneto Ignition…