Octane Booster

[64nailhead]

Hey, you’re over thinking this.

Find the rpm that you’re at when it starts pinging.

I asked before, do you know how to convert the vertical scale, on the left of your table, to inches of mercury? If no, then say so and I’ll do it for you. If you can confirm the rpm, then I can tell what cells to adjust and what to adjust them to.

Or, find a dyno shop / tuner in your area that can a carb.

 

[DRIVEN]

Or bolt on an EGR.

 

[ck80]

so noone takes notice of the fuel level in the see through fuel filter while the engine is idleing and possibly suggests the fuel pump may be to blame for my lean issue. Figure if the fuel pump cant keep up with the demand of the engine, much less keeping the carb fuel bowls full at all times, a lean condition issue could arise?

You're thinking in terms of an electric pump and not a mechanical pump. As the lever arm rides the eccentric it pumps more and more as your rpm increases. So while pressure remains low like a carb likes volume won't be a problem.

Mechanical pumps are like a squirt gun, each rotation pulls the lever arm (trigger) once until it rolls around again. Then it pushes a diaphragm and squirts the fuel out. An electric pump is like your garden hose, just constant pressure and flow.

So that's why you don't necessarily fill that clear filter up at idle and purge the air.

It is not considered unheard of for one of those clear inline filters to only be half fuel at idle when dealing with a mechanical pump. However, it is possible for an ethanol degraded rubber line near the sending unit to pull a little air in... I doubt that's your problem though.

This whole ordeal reeks of a fuel delivery issue IMO, but of course i dont have a fuel pressure guage to confirm that, just what i think im seeing of the fuel level in the see through fuel filter at engine idle. I have no history on this engine, so who knows how long its been running in the malibu, or the true mileage on the motor, for all i know, the fuel pump is on its way out, still working for sure, but not to its full potential like a brand new unit, all i need is 6psi, and im golden,

If your fuel pump was the real culprit, and it was so bad it barely pumped at idle, your car would stall and die at speed and high throttle, not just ping.

 

[Ernest]

Hey, you’re over thinking this.

Find the rpm that you’re at when it starts pinging.

I asked before, do you know how to convert the vertical scale, on the left of your table, to inches of mercury? If no, then say so and I’ll do it for you. If you can confirm the rpm, then I can tell what cells to adjust and what to adjust them to.

Or, find a dyno shop / tuner in your area that can a carb

Possibly i am overthinking this.... im just racking my brain pan constantly googling for answers for this common pinging problem with ZZ4 engines, i really want to enjoy my ride for the long haul.

 

[64nailhead]

Stop googling. It’s pinging because of too much timing.

If it were lean, then you’d have light misfire that would be audible.
You haven’t described that

 

[MetroRob]

I keep this on hand usually for when the girlfriend puts regular in my C63

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HDZ4MLW/?tag=gbody-20

 

[Ernest]

Stop googling. It’s pinging because of too much timing.

If it were lean, then you’d have light misfire that would be audible.
You haven’t described that

If you suggest too much timing, then i'll check the balancer's 0 mark in relation to the #1 piston's TDC position on the compression stroke.

Have you looked at the spark plug i posted.... how does that lQQk to you, and thats just from casual street/highway driving, not WOT. Either way, the 770cfm is overcarb, i figured with the enrichening of the carb by going up 3jet sizes in the front(72 to 75) and up 8jet sizes in the rear(75 to 83), the plug should look more darker than that, shouldnt it?

I see $99 for THAT can of octane booster.... wowzers!

 

[86LK]

still have the original balancer installed? sure it hasn't shifted?

 

[Ernest]

As far as i know and by the looks of things, everything on this motor looks original..... thats all i have to go by since i have no history on the engine.

 

[Ernest]

Holley recomends going up 2 jets sizes at a time to make a difference... i went up 3 sizes on the primaries and up 8 sizes on the secondaries due to the recomendation found elsewhere for the SA770/ZZ4 combo that actually helped with that person's particular pinging problem, unfortunately, it didnt help me.

I just hope its not a faint exhaust leak between the heads and header flange thats making similar noises to the pinging under mid throttle. I have rarely heard a high pitched "snap" like noise off and on while working under the hood while the engine is idleing, actually sounds like a spark plug wire or something arching to ground, now that i think about it. But overall, i just need to go through the whole engine looking for vacuum leaks, exhaust leaks, intake gasket leaks, take the valve covers off and relash the valves while running, checking the balancer 0 timing mark in relation to the #1 piston TDC, checking fuel pressure, putting on new spark plug wires, new header gaskets, etc.