03 Cobra pings after 10 pounds of boost; please help.

[RDSZ]

After racing today a 99 an up GT I notice that after the boost gage goes up to 10 or more the engine began to ping that I have to back off from the gas pedal. I do have a UPR pulley and a chip and running 91 octane the temperture today here was 95 degrees. Am really afraid of any damage I have done to the engine
I have gone before past 10 pounds of boost when it was colder and could not hear any pinging. Do you think is because the weather "too hot" or something else. I do not want to damage the engine PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP.

 

[COBRyan]

Damn this is the first time I have heard of detonation in an 03 with or without pulley!! It sounds like you may be running a little lean. May want to call up UPR and have them reburn your chip or put your car on a dyno to find out what your air/fuel ratio looks like. I personally would not have chosen a UPR chip, SFPHQ or Amazon really seem to be the 03 experts. You might also try NGK TR6 spark plugs. They are supposed to help higher boost levels so this may be your problem. I wouldnt floor the pedal until you get your air/fuel ratio looked at or your chip reburned. Heat could have an impact on your car as well but I dunno if it should ping like described.

 

[RDSZ]

Thanks COBRYAN I will try those spark plugs to see if help any; do you know what the gap should be for those plugs? I hope this solve my problem.
Please anybody else; I need your input.

Thanks again

 

[COBRyan]

here you go!

http://www.southfloridapulleyhq.com/cobra_products_ngks.htm

 

[Dana]

I have been told that these motors don't like anything less than 92 octane. Try switching grades or brands, they are definitely not all the same. I have used both 92 and 93 with no problems, but that is as low as I have gone on the octane level. Add in the high temps and that may have been a source of the pinging.

Dana

 

[RDSZ]

Does anybody knows what the gap for plugs should be? Can I used the stock gap? Am planing on getting this spark plugs tomorrow. Thanks

 

[03DOHC]

Originally posted by Dana
Try switching grades or brands, they are definitely not all the same. I have used both 92 and 93 with no problems, but that is as low as I have gone on the octane level. Add in the high temps and that may have been a source of the pinging.

:lol: :lol: hahaha! Welcome to CA! Pump super is 91 here. Thank you envirofreak-dumbasses.:kaboom:

That's another reason I am hesitant on going w/a 2.8" pulley. The gas here sucks. Not only is it 91 octane, it's oxygenated to boot.:bash:

Sorry to hear that RDSZ. I'd get that thing checked out. Keep off it in the heat. Gap for the TR6 try .035-.04 although you should call UPR since that's where you got the stuff from.

 

[COBRyan]

I gapped my plugs at .40 that is what most tuners recommend!

 

[03DOHC]

Originally posted by COBRyan
I gapped my plugs at .40 that is what most tuners recommend!

Do you mean .040? .40 is almost a 1/2" gap!

 

[46stang]

you need to get your chip reburned! I know for a fact diablo has 2 base programs for the 03's! one for back east(93-94 octane) and 1 for california(91octane)! when i 1st tried the back east program my car pinged as well on a 100+deg. day! I then used the cali. program and it was fine! then i took it to the dyno, and had it tuned. I was able to then run the back east program, after modifing my A/F ratios! My car hasn't pinged since and as you know we've had several 100 deg. days!
Leon
P.S. your motor will be fine. I would recommend taking it easy though!

 

[03DOHC]

Hey Leon, can our cars run a 2.8" pulley and live w/CA 91 octane gas? Do you know if there is a "Ford" factory belt that will fit w/a 2.8" or 2.93" pulley?

 

[RDSZ]

Ill replace the plugs, then if that doesnt work Ill have to replace the pulley to a bigger side. The weird thing is that it was no pinging when I first install the pulley and chip when going over 10 pounds of boost, I did this about 10 times so far with only 500 miles in the OD. I also added some octane booster but did not help any. I did some of those WOT with the same gas a few days ago with no pinging.

 

[COBRyan]

Originally posted by 03DOHC
Do you mean .040? .40 is almost a 1/2" gap!

oops!! ya sorry about that!!! .040

 

[RDSZ]

46STANG do you have a link for diablo; Ill like to try the chip you said. I think the maybe the answer. thanks

 

[46stang]

I believe you can run the 2.80 pulley, with the right tune. I have the dub pulley from sfp, so what I'm going to do is run my 2.93 pulley on the street and when i go to the track i will put the 2.80 on and buy a couple gallons of 104 octane! I also have a diablo delta chip so i can run 2 diff. programs on it. I will be getting a race program burned for the 2nd program. as for the belt, Ford doesn't have one. I checked into that as well. Only the stock size

Octane booster is crap! it doesn't work. If you want a real octane booster go buy some 104 gas and add it to the tank! try to do at least 50/50 mix. that way your octane will like 96octane! It's the heat and aggressive tune that's making your car ping! Go drive your car at night (cooler)and i bet it won't ping, or it'll be alot less! what size pulley do you have now? UPR should be able to accomodate you and our crappy gas and reburn the chip for free! jmho. Diablo just pulls a couple deg. of timing across the board for our gas. fyi.
Leon

 

[93cobra03]

Just some advice. I have many hours on dyno w/ this engine and it is in your tune. For safety and driveability pull your chip out. It is simple and your factory settings are rich enough to handle boost. IT is simple to do this and will not effect anything. Pull out w/ power off and settings will go back to factory. Drive car and see if it pings I bet it wont. Only outside possibility is that you may have gooten some bad gas.

 

[RDSZ]

I have the 2.80 pulley. Ill call UPR to see if they can reburn it. Thanks for your help.

 

[03DOHC]

Guess I'm going to stick w/a L pulley then. I just want to drive my car and not have to do "special" things. Does onerichrunner have the program you're using on file?

Thanks Leon!

 

[RDSZ]

93COBRA03 When a spoke to someone in UPR they told me that I needed to get their chip or I will fry my motor with out it. Anyways Ill pull it out to see if it works. Anybody has an idea how much HP a chip can give you?

 

[93cobra03]

Not true it, but makes them a sale. Between burns I have driven the car for miles w/ no prob! Diablosport is very aggressive w/ timing and this is your problem. If your car is not as rich as the one they did the chip for it will ping, but since it did it after awhile of driving you may have gotten some gas that was a little watered down literally and combine it w/ a hot day and you ping.