I'm starting to get a little ping on medium acceleration.  If I remember right the fix is timing. My question is which way?  Hard to check it when it's not loaded right?

retard it a couple of degrees. Joanne2007-10-14 13:30:55

I agree. It's either the timing is a bit too far advanced or too low an octane gasoline.

My experience has been from low octane gasoline to timing to a vacumn leak causing a lean ping under acceleration.  The timing usually needs to be advanced if memory serves me correctly. I actually had a car burn a hole in a piston on a lean ping under hard acceleration with the turbo kicked in.  They said it was low fuel pressure that could not keep up with the air being pushed in by the turbo.  Bigger fuel pump and lines cured that after new pistons.

All of the above could do it! Timing too fat for the fuel/compression ratio, too low octane fuel, or vac. leak allowing more air into the cylinders than it needs, which creates a lean burn, and can cause a hole in a slug.
Turn the dist back clockwise just a hair at a time, until the ping goes away. Then get some better fuel!
If there is a problem with the carb not metering enough fuel under part/full throttle conditions, you'll get the same results.
Did you keep an EGR system when you installed th enew engine? An EGR malfunction is the most common cause of pinging these days...

Nope no EGR ...    Using the best fuel I can get..93 Oct....guess I'll mess with the timing...

What if it is an '82 with cross-fire injection?

[QUOTE=dwright] What if it is an '82 with cross-fire injection?



[/QUOTE]

Yes...


You could also have an injector(or both) stopping up, low fuel pressure due to aged pump, or an issue with an oxygen sensor.
The headlights being slower than normal can be a vac. leak in the system, or just the effects of normal wear & tear on "seasoned" parts. If you have never replaced any of the relays, actuators, or vac. hoses, I'd venture a guess that it is time for a O/H of the headlight system.

I had that problem for along time, tried all sort of things, timing wasn`t the issue. I finally decided to play around with fuel additives. the one that works for me is a Lucas oil boast for off road. I use it with a full tank and no more ping. I know this worked for me because i just went through 5 tanks of fuel going to Bowling Green  and ran out of the boast. lo and behind   ping ,ping ping. It cost $9.00  to treat 25 gal, so about $5 a tank.

In addition, the engine temp could be just a bit higher than before.  That will also make it ping.