valve chatter ?
propbuster
07-12-2005, 10:33 AM
I have a 86 Ram van with a 318 engine. Sometimes the engine will ping while accelerating once it's warmed up. I'll be on the gas and it will ping, then stop for a minute, then ping again! It seems like the timing is getting too advanced at times. What controls the spark advance on this motor? It has, from what I can determine, single pickup electronic ignition. Thanks, Tim
restrorob
07-12-2005, 08:48 PM
I have a 86 Ram van with a 318 engine. Sometimes the engine will ping while accelerating once it's warmed up. I'll be on the gas and it will ping, then stop for a minute, then ping again! It seems like the timing is getting too advanced at times. What controls the spark advance on this motor? It has, from what I can determine, single pickup electronic ignition. Thanks, Tim
Raise the hood and dead center mounted on the fire wall is a large black box with a vacuum canister looking right at you,This is the vacuum timing advance. Inside the box is the control module,I have never been into one and don't know if you can get into one but my guess is the vacuum advance activates some type of rheostat switch that tells the computer to advance the timing. I aquired a pin hole in the one on my 86 conversion van and it whistled really bad going down the highway, I went to the dealer and found you have to buy the whole computer and they start at $250.00 and go up they said they need the number off the old one to get a exact price and the number wasn't on the front side :uhoh:
Tell ya what I did; The dang thing never got better than 10.4 miles to the gallon so I took the vacuum hose off and plugged the end,Ran the engine to operating temp. popped the dog house and power braked it and adjusted the timing until it just started to ping a little then backed it off a hair and locked it down. I just got back from a 250 mile road trip and it done just fine.
I figured if guys race cars without the vacuum advance hooked up why can't I run my van that way !
just my :2cents:
Raise the hood and dead center mounted on the fire wall is a large black box with a vacuum canister looking right at you,This is the vacuum timing advance. Inside the box is the control module,I have never been into one and don't know if you can get into one but my guess is the vacuum advance activates some type of rheostat switch that tells the computer to advance the timing. I aquired a pin hole in the one on my 86 conversion van and it whistled really bad going down the highway, I went to the dealer and found you have to buy the whole computer and they start at $250.00 and go up they said they need the number off the old one to get a exact price and the number wasn't on the front side :uhoh:
Tell ya what I did; The dang thing never got better than 10.4 miles to the gallon so I took the vacuum hose off and plugged the end,Ran the engine to operating temp. popped the dog house and power braked it and adjusted the timing until it just started to ping a little then backed it off a hair and locked it down. I just got back from a 250 mile road trip and it done just fine.
I figured if guys race cars without the vacuum advance hooked up why can't I run my van that way !
just my :2cents:
propbuster
07-14-2005, 01:30 PM
restorob, You're right, the auto parts store wants amlost $200 for a new computer! Funny you should mention the "whistling" mine does the same thing! I may get brave and try to take the thing apart, or most likely just plug the thing and do like you did and time it by ear and let it go at that. I'll let you know what happens and thanks a lot for the info!!!!, Tim
restrorob
07-14-2005, 08:58 PM
Nadda Problem :thumbsup:
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