Pinging in hot weather

In the stop and go traffic coming home I sometimes get caught accelerating in too high a gear, and I get some pinging. Soon as I hear it I downshift and it's gone.
Just wondering if I should be running 89 instead of the 87 octane I use?

By the way I never noticed this until this superhot weather got here, it's over 100 degrees when this happens.

I also get a little pinging, usually when I'm going uphill and accelerating. I downshift and it goes away. I've been blaming the gas... just figured that I'm getting poor quality fuel (what do you expect for $3.30/gallon?).
And it has been Africa Hot this summer.

just recently the fuel here has added 10% ethanol and when that came into being i too notice my bike pings. i suspect thats the culprit in my case...steve

Mine all ping under load in hot weather. You'll notice gas is now 85 octane in the low grade, around 87 mid and 91 premium. Back in 1978 gas was always at least 89 octane even at the lowest grade unleaded. You about have to run premium for $3.50 a gallon to get what you used to get for $0.50 a gallon in regular in 1978.

It's probably related to your elevation, Ron. Around here regular is all 87. Ethanol blend is shown at 90. Those are the two most common grades. Some stations offer 92 or 93.

A year ago I drove out to Salt Lake City and from Wyoming west the gas was all 85. I bought some at Kimball, NE, but I can't remember what it was. I do remember it was about 20 cents higher than if I'd waited until the Wyoming line.

I just finished a hour ride around town and noticed no pinging even though the temps were still way above 90. I run 87 in the SR.

- Nate >>

carbon build up on piston top is the first culprit.

shite fuel is second.

decarboning procedure does help

may sound weird but:
squirting water or carb cleaner directly into the venturi of each carburator while reving the engine will dislodge some/most of the carbon crust on piston and in the combustion chamber. as you do this the bike will want to die, but keep the revs up. a cloud of nasty smelling smoke will come out and you may hear particles of junk going through the exaust pipe. if your buddy is standing behind the pipes they'll get peppered pretty good

nothing works better than a wire wheel to get all the carbon off of metal but this is as close as you can get with the engine all together

this procedure WILL help your pinging problem !!


the old timers had to do it constantly on side valve flat heads to keep them running

I heard about spraying water in the intakes, and also the spray version of Seafoam is supposed to do the carbon removal trick too. Maybe I'll try running more Seafoam in the gas for a bit ?

I've been running a little SeaFoam in mine all year this year....still pings!

you may be causing the problem by doing it that way

the water/carb cleaner acts as a steam and pressure washer all at once and in short blasts

water or sea foam in the gas is bad.

I have never heard of how it is supposed to be used but if it is in the fuel supply it can not be good.

must be the fuel. In europe octane figures starts at 91, common is 95 and "super"gas is 98. Octane numbers won't tell all because low quality feuls will start pinging earlier. easy solution start using at least 91. I'm running a standard Kz 1000 which can normally run on 91 but with only a 1200cc wiseco big bore and I must use 98 octane (at 20 degrees C.)to keep it undamaged....

Martijn

Sea Foam (in the can, not spray) is made for the gas tank, or in the crankcase oil.
1 ounce of SF to 1 gallon of gas.
I usually set it up that way in the winter, but this summer I cut that in about half and put it in about every other tank full.

As far as I've been able to tell Sea Foam is nothing more than some form of kerosene, mineral oil and 2% of some mystic ingredient.

Yes, Kent, it's damn hot in Oklahoma City. I was in full gear those days when it hit 108~110. I haven't noticed any pinging with mine, but I'm starting to hear some ticking from #3 or #4 when I get home. Time to pull the head and check everything out...

Were you on that Family Bike Nite ride that got the shake down from the cops recently? I don't feel so bad about missing out on that one! I've been helping my buddy rebuild his 750 Spectre, and it's gotten pretty involved. It should be done soon and I'll drag him out to one of these rides...

I read that Bob sold his water buffalo. Does he still bring his CBX out, or has he picked up some other bit of exotica?

Post edited by: guitargeek, at: 2006/08/12 04:57