Discussion
My Griff pinks like hell when accelerating from lowish revs. I'd like to think this won't knacker the engine, but it doesn't feel right to me and I'd like to know what to do to sort it.
I only ever run it on Optimax, so I'm not using shady low-octane fuel. The HT leads are old and knackered - they are stiff and one keeps popping off the spark plug (!)
What's the best bet? At some point I want to upgrade the engine either by getting the usual cam/plenum/Mark Adams chip, or by slinging the dizzy for a mapped ignition - so I don't want to spend a lot on stuff that I may throw away later this year.
I am planning to swap the duff old plug leads for Magnecor ones - I hear the red ones are faster???
I only ever run it on Optimax, so I'm not using shady low-octane fuel. The HT leads are old and knackered - they are stiff and one keeps popping off the spark plug (!)
What's the best bet? At some point I want to upgrade the engine either by getting the usual cam/plenum/Mark Adams chip, or by slinging the dizzy for a mapped ignition - so I don't want to spend a lot on stuff that I may throw away later this year.
I am planning to swap the duff old plug leads for Magnecor ones - I hear the red ones are faster???
Timing must be out. Any pinking I've enjoyed running on low cal fuel disappeared when I changed to Opty. So I'd get it looked at pronto before you do do any damage.
HT leads are a bit of a consumable with the conditions they have to endure - good quality, best you can afford, is probably a safe bet.
And yeah, how come however many times you seem to put them back they always escape!
To be fair they are a firm fit to get get properly on at the dizzy end and I've been caught out only a couple of times.
HT leads are a bit of a consumable with the conditions they have to endure - good quality, best you can afford, is probably a safe bet.
And yeah, how come however many times you seem to put them back they always escape!
To be fair they are a firm fit to get get properly on at the dizzy end and I've been caught out only a couple of times.Me to re. the leads. I bought a set of 10mm silicone race leads and you think you've put them in properly but you haven't!
Re. the pinking, this is the fuel burning before the piston has reached the top of its stroke and is therefore trying to force the piston back the wrong way. Definitely not good for the engine. It is caused by one of two things. Either the ignition timing is far too advanced and the spark is sparking too early, or you have got compression ignition (like a diesel).
The engines are fairly high compression so require a higher octane of fuel to prevent pre-ignition, e.g. super unleaded. However, if there is something else raisng the compression even more (such as a carbon build up on the piston crowns) even super unleaded will not prevent it. You could try adding Redex to your fuel to try and shift it.
I have a similar problem and am also about to embark on the tuning route. For this pinking reason (and also becuase my engine has done over 80,000 miles) I am almost certainly going to go down the TVR Power Taraka route as this involves a complete engine strip and rebuild as part of the package.
Re. the pinking, this is the fuel burning before the piston has reached the top of its stroke and is therefore trying to force the piston back the wrong way. Definitely not good for the engine. It is caused by one of two things. Either the ignition timing is far too advanced and the spark is sparking too early, or you have got compression ignition (like a diesel).
The engines are fairly high compression so require a higher octane of fuel to prevent pre-ignition, e.g. super unleaded. However, if there is something else raisng the compression even more (such as a carbon build up on the piston crowns) even super unleaded will not prevent it. You could try adding Redex to your fuel to try and shift it.
I have a similar problem and am also about to embark on the tuning route. For this pinking reason (and also becuase my engine has done over 80,000 miles) I am almost certainly going to go down the TVR Power Taraka route as this involves a complete engine strip and rebuild as part of the package.
Starmist,
I've now pretty much decided to go with Peninsula on the ACT/404/Adams/ConeCeramicManifolds route.To me it's more proven and as my car is a youngish low miler I'm less interested in the engine rebuild.
Might be interesting to put both cars on the same rolling road first then do the respective mods and then stick them back on to measure individual and comparative results - interested?
I've now pretty much decided to go with Peninsula on the ACT/404/Adams/ConeCeramicManifolds route.To me it's more proven and as my car is a youngish low miler I'm less interested in the engine rebuild.
Might be interesting to put both cars on the same rolling road first then do the respective mods and then stick them back on to measure individual and comparative results - interested?
Very. Where abouts in the country are you? The only problem I can see is that as mine will be having a complete rebuild, it is possible that Dom finds other bits and pieces that need replacing along the way which may affect the overall power and torque increases.
v8r said he would pay the rr costs for the winning car, as he would be interested in the results as well.
V8r, what do you reckon? Game on?
v8r said he would pay the rr costs for the winning car, as he would be interested in the results as well.
V8r, what do you reckon? Game on?
My Griff is pinking quite a bit at full throttle above 3000 rpm, having measured the timing though I think the distributor is at fault as it appears to be advancing to much, I have found that by adding a octane booster to the optimax it still pinks between 3and 4000 rpm (although not as bad) and above 4k its stopped.
Starmist
I'm in Bath, isn't there a rolling road somewhere around Cheltenham ( mid wayish) that Mark Adams uses?
I'm up for the comparison and I'll take my chances on the possible benefits of your engine rebuild as I think in standard form I've already got a good'un !!
PS we need to link these threads!
I'm in Bath, isn't there a rolling road somewhere around Cheltenham ( mid wayish) that Mark Adams uses?
I'm up for the comparison and I'll take my chances on the possible benefits of your engine rebuild as I think in standard form I've already got a good'un !!
PS we need to link these threads!
No engine should pink ever, it is realy is very damaging to your engine and could end up in an expensive rebuild, my honest advice would be to take it to your local speicilist who ever they may be and ask them to check this out, if you cant manage this grab your self a 9/16 spaner slacken the bolt off under the dizzy and turn clockwise just a little and go up the road and try it if it still persists retard it again untill it stops, then when you have the time go and get it checked by a speicialist
tiny said:
Starmist
I'm in Bath, isn't there a rolling road somewhere around Cheltenham ( mid wayish) that Mark Adams uses?
I'm up for the comparison and I'll take my chances on the possible benefits of your engine rebuild as I think in standard form I've already got a good'un !!
PS we need to link these threads!
Cheltenham would do it for me. Don't know where it is, though. Mark, can you enlighten us, please?
starmist said:
Starmist
I'm in Bath, isn't there a rolling road somewhere around Cheltenham ( mid wayish) that Mark Adams uses?
I'm up for the comparison and I'll take my chances on the possible benefits of your engine rebuild as I think in standard form I've already got a good'un !!
PS we need to link these threads!
Cheltenham would do it for me. Don't know where it is, though. Mark, can you enlighten us, please?
It's Mech Repairs. Try www.yell.com
Cheeers for all the replies.
Unlike my knackered old Escort when I was a student (which I did mess about with myself) - the pinking is only at low revs and large throttle openings... when the engine's got over 3000 rpm then it's perfectly smooth and powerful.
This to me suggests it's more a timing issue than coked up pistons / heads etc. Though I could be wrong, the car's only done 25k miles.
The only thing I'm concerned about is that I know that I can simply retard the ignition all-round until the pinking goes away, but surely I'm throwing away mid-high revs power by doing so?? I doubt I'm getting any more than 280 bhp as standard, I don't want to end up with a 240 bhp Griff 500...
Unlike my knackered old Escort when I was a student (which I did mess about with myself) - the pinking is only at low revs and large throttle openings... when the engine's got over 3000 rpm then it's perfectly smooth and powerful.
This to me suggests it's more a timing issue than coked up pistons / heads etc. Though I could be wrong, the car's only done 25k miles.
The only thing I'm concerned about is that I know that I can simply retard the ignition all-round until the pinking goes away, but surely I'm throwing away mid-high revs power by doing so?? I doubt I'm getting any more than 280 bhp as standard, I don't want to end up with a 240 bhp Griff 500...
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