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Yes pinging is not a good thing, can cause engine damage. if you don't use 93 then try it if your ride is stock, if you have fuel management then have it ajjusted out
Thank you for the input. My only mods so far are cosmetic, primary cover, grips, mirrors, etc. Pipes and fuel management are stock. Bike has 21,000 miles.
You mentioned the definition of pinging . . . . I have an '04 Heritage. It tends to do this when it is hot outside. Is this normal or do I have a problem. It happens when I'm going up an incline or accelerating.
some big builds tend to ping and need extra fuel additive, but for a stg 1 or bolt in cam motor it should be pinging..
R U using premium fuel, if not that could do it,?? If U R and still ping then the timing could need ajusted...or ignition issue..
My bike pops everytime I let off the throttle. I didn't have the problem until I took off the stock exhaust and put on a set of SE slip-ons. The stealers kept telling me I don't need a fuel tuner because I have the big bore kit and the was already a download. They were full of ****. The bike pops everytime I let off the throttle. No money for a tuner especially since I'm losing my job in 4 weeks so I guess I will just deal with the popping.
I just did the 20,000 mile service including replacing the plugs. Use Mobile 1 full synthetic, I bought it used with 5,000 miles. I'm at 21,000 after 1.5 years (I love to ride - what can I say!). I have only burned premium since I've owned it. I live in SE AZ and it only pings in the extreme of summer under the load conditions I mentioned in my first post. :-)
I just did the 20,000 mile service including replacing the plugs. Use Mobile 1 full synthetic, I bought it used with 5,000 miles. I'm at 21,000 after 1.5 years (I love to ride - what can I say!). I have only burned premium since I've owned it. I live in SE AZ and it only pings in the extreme of summer under the load conditions I mentioned in my first post. :-)
sounds like the fuel is just getting too hot. which you cant really avoid, with the tank being exposed to direct sunlight. but with EFI, the computer should be retarding your timing in hot weather like that. only solution i can think of, would be to get a fuel cooler, if they even make one.
plugs shouldnt have any effect. because the problem, is that the fuel is igniting, before the spark. it is just so dam hot, that it ignites from the heat.
Could a faulty engine temp sensor possibly cause pinging?
I'm narrowing down an issue with my scoot which has led to the ET sensor possibly being intermittently bad, but the bike also occasionally will ping. Could the ET be the ping culprit also?
I'm picking up a replacement ET sensor today and will post the results.
Thanks for the help. Guess I'm a little impatient as it took me so long to get the bike & still pretty thrilled to finally own a Harley. I'll definitly read the rules & hopefully navigate the forum better.
Safe riding...dave
Seems like you navigated it just fine to me. You found the softail section and asked your question. I found this article on decel popping some time ago and it may be of help to you also:
"Burn Baby Burn
The last thing I want to address today is the subject of deceleration backfire, or popping. This topic generates a lot of concern from inexperienced riders, or even from experienced guys who just hate the noise, so lets take a look at what causes it. But first things first, lets define the issue:
Deceleration Backfire is caused by fuel burning in the exhaust manifold or header.
No ifs ands or buts, thats what causes it. But the bigger question is how does gas get there in the first place, and thats a bit more complicated. Generally, there are a variety of ways it gets there, and a variety of things that can make the backfiring worse. But theres a kicker, and something you should understand before we go any farther:
A motor in perfect tune will exhibit deceleration backfiring.
Therefore, just because your motor is banging it up, doesnt mean theres anything wrong. And consequently:
Getting rid of the noise means de-tuning your motor.
Yup. If youve jut got to eliminate that popping, youll have to accept the fact that your motor is going to be forced to run rich to do it, and that isnt necessarily a good thing. So lets talk about what causes the problem.
Ok, so youre riding along at some given rpm, and suddenly you decide to decelerate, and you reduce the amount of throttle. This causes an overrun that is, the motors rpm is turning faster than the fuel provided can support, so the motor begins to spool down. This causes a couple of things to happen.
First, when you close the throttle, you are also closing the throttle plates. This reduces the air and fuel flowing into the motor, and increases the vacuum (lowers the pressure). This results in less air and fuel in the cylinder during the power stroke, which in turn results in a lower pressure in the combustion chamber. Remember I said earlier, that the A/F mix burns faster in proportion to the pressure applied? Well, when we reduce pressure this way, the mix burns slower. This results in two things happening.
1. The lower burning fuel generates less heat, and the cooling effect of the non-burning fuel tends to quench the flame front, or slow it down even further. Because the mix is burning much slower, the exhaust valve can open before all the fuel is consumed, and the unburnt fuel is ejected into the exhaust.
2. The engine designers, in order to promote smoother idling and better combustion, retard the spark when the throttle is shut, and this results in the mix being lit later.
So, now we end up with unburnt fuel in the exhaust, and burning fuel being ejected into the exhaust, and bang! Backfire.
The bottom line, is: That backfiring is perfectly normal and expected. If youve just got get rid of it, thats up to you. Youre entitled to set your motor up the way you want, and your goals are your goals. But dont refer to it as fixing the popping. Rather, the correct way to think of it is de-tuning a bit to get rid of the popping.
There are a few ways you can do this.
First, use the stock pipe. It will hide the sound, by absorbing it into mass, and masking it with the larger baffle space. Second, you can add more fuel during deceleration. This has the effect of raising the chamber pressure slightly, which burns a little more before the exhaust valve opens.
End
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