Engine Ping

[Mike]

I have a 1973 Ranchero GT. The engine is suppose to be a 351. I don't know for sure which 351 because it changes depending on where I look. What I do know is that the Chilton's book (# 6696) VIN information is wrong. Chilton's reports the "Q" in the VIN as a 1975-79 8-351M. That's hard to believe, since it's a 1973 vehicle and I don't think Ford invented a time machine. smile.gif

Is there a stamp marker on the block itself which can be used to identify and match with the VIN number?

The carburetor is another story. According to the tag on the carb bolt, it reads "D6PE AFA". Some time ago I did a search for that model of carb and found no information. The Chilton's book, while it has every carb under the sun listed, doesn't have a "D6PE AFA" listed. The D6 suggests a 1976 carb (more time machine antics). :confused:

Then there's the distributor. I just recently found out that the distributor base won't turn when the hold-down clamp is loosened. This makes me think that the previous tune-ups I thought I was paying for were in fact incomplete - if the service station could not turn the distributor. Either that, or someone used crazy glue in case the hold-down clamp loosened. :(

To this day it still pings with mild acceleration or going up steep hills in low gear at 5 MPH. I've changed all the vacuum lines and I've checked that the vacuum activated plate in the distributor moves freely. There are no centrifugal weights in the distributor.

Dan's suggestion of using electronic ignition is a great idea. One less thing to be concerned about. Pertronix makes two electronic ignition kits called Ignitor and Ignitor II. I'm not sure which one I need?

The electronic ignition sounds like one part of a solution to the path of a vehicle that doesn't ping.

[coop wa]

in the vin numbers when it tells u if u have a 351 it dont tell u if u have a M or a w in the 77-79 listings. the c engin i dont know the code letter but Q i think ment for cobrajet engin 429 i think. i had a lot of chatter in my engin cause of the distributer system. i could turn back the timming to get rid of it, but lose alot of power from it. i ended up gettin a msg cintrifical advance no vacume line advance distributer and a msd 6a ingnition control. that eliminated the ping/chatter under load and mild/hard acceleration. slight chatter at high rpm about 4500-4800rpm, i havnt done the timing lite on it yet. ive dont it by how i think it should be runnin, not cause im totaly lazy but cause i do my ajustments on the fly. IE i notice somthin little off ill pull over and ajust it at at gas station or where i can. even a parkin lot works.

[73ranchero]

Your Q code means 351cj not 429. You probably have a 351clevaland cj unless some one has swapped engines. Your CJ will have the 4 barrel heads as well as a factory 4 barrel carb. when you pull yor dist. I would just buy a new one from the parts store because they are pretty cheap, around 30 bucks or so. good luck.

[Clark]

These Ford distributors can really get stuck. Oil gunk seems to condense around these things internal to the engine. I had to put a healthy bar under mine to get it out the last time. I didn't much care whether I destroyed it or not. As it was, it finally popped loose.