Generally advancing timing induces ping. What that means is perhaps you have a lot of carbon built up in the combustion chambers? I use BG44k to clean injectors but it also does an awesome job of removing carbon. You can also try seafoam but you have to be ultra careful as people have hydrolocked their engine following the directions on the bottle. Try a concentrated cleaner like BG44k - change your sparkplugs and make sure they are gapped correctly.

If that doesn't fix it you could even try less timing - 8 degrees or so. That is why higher octane fuel helps - it burns slower so there are no hotspots in the combustion chamber like there is when there is a lot of carbon. Carbon holds the heat of the combustion chamber and causes the fuel to burn before the compression stroke of the engine is complete - that is the ping you hear. If it keeps up long enough damage can happen.

 

I run mine at 20* BTDC as well , rabbit with butt on fire .

 

I debunked that myth once already.......

IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO HYDROLOCK YOUR ENGINE WITH A CAN OF SEAFOAM USED AS DIRECTED OR OTHERWISE. IT'S NOT A SUFFICIENT VOLUME OF FLUID, OR RATHER YOU CAN'T MOVE THAT VOLUME FAST ENOUGH INTO EVEN 1 OF YOUR CYLINDERS TO CAUSE THE ENGINE TO HYDROLOCK. THE RATE WOULD EXCEED THE WHOLE CAN IN LESS THAN A SECOND, OR THE PERIOD OF TIME EQUAL TO THE TIME IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE INTAKE STROKE AT IDLE SPEED, ABOUT 1/1600 OF A MINUTE(800 RPMx2 STROKES PER REVOLUTION=1600 STROKES PER MINUTE). AND ENOUGH, ROUGHLY 10-20% OF THE FULL CAN, WOULD HAVE TO GO DIRECTLY INTO 1 CYLINDER IN LESS THAN THE "BLINK-OF-AN-EYE". NO CHANCE AT ALL DO YOU HAVE OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN IN A 4 OR 6 CYLINDER ENGINE EITHER, WHETHER USED AS PRECRIBED OR "TRYING" TO HYDROLOCK YOUR ENGINE. IMPOSSIBLE!!!!

How do you think they could get away with selling the stuff if it was so destructive?

Why do you think the stuff is so popular around here? Because we like to tell people to use a product they can blow their engines up with?

Dude, you need to think a little before you go bashing the FLAWLESS reputation of SEA FOAM motor treatment. At least if I'm awake.

 

So as far as carbon buildup, how much help will seafoam do?? how bad would it be to tear up heads and intake, clean it and put it back?? (i did water pump in
4 hrs) i cant keep affording 91 octane with no power gain results

 

...and how many uphill miles did you have to walk to and from school each day in the snow?

 

HEHEHE , what were they doing pouring the entire can in the intake and then starting HEHE , I find that hard to believe , just pour it all in and start it up LOL .
I have used it in intake and gas and it works wonders

 

I've the same experience as Mudhippy... running advanced makes a big difference. 4Runner runs really well, and has been since I bought it close to two years ago, after correcting a TPS problem, and reversed EGR lines.

I've smogged it twice under California's smog2 program. The first time it failed only because of timing set above 10 degrees (yes they really check that), other readings were exceptionally good. The engine is "clean", and has been since I bought it.

So since then... two marks on the distributor adjust, one for the smog setting, and one when I leave the parking lot.

Engine sounds good (very quiet), runs great, and continues to show very clean on the emmissions tests.

What did you find on the "Octane selector" business. I see that page on my older Chilton's.. doesn't say if is for 3VZE or 22rec, but not in the newer Chiltons... '89-96.

Be nice if one could "advance" that adjustment, and bring back the distributor timing to 10degrees. It is somewhat of a puzzle why so many of us get better results with advanced timing.. and no pinging (on 87 octane).

 

I threw some Octane Boost and Fuel Injector cleaner from O'Malley's in the tank last fillup and now my Check Engine light is on. I wonder if I trashed the O2 sensor with a bunch of carbon?

 

Don't use octane booster unless you're willing to spring for real stuff like Torco. Otherwise, you're just going to create issues on the plugs and may have repercussions with the 02 sensor.

Pull the codes.. let us know which ones you set.

 

Will do. I'm going to try to stop by Autozone tomorrow. The light turned off this morning after I had breakfast. Was on the whole way to the restaurant so I'm not sure why it didn't come on again. I'm hoping the code is stored so that I have an idea whats going on.

 

Wonder if the timng belt is getting old.. slack... and adjusting the timing is helping it?

 

Wrong kind of timing. If the belt was loose it would effect the cam timing, not the ignition timing. Adjusting the ignition timing does nothing for your cam timing.

 

MudHippy
you still getting 20-22 mpg with your 35s??
you have next to open exhaust right?

 

AutoZone can't pull the codes - your truck is OBD-I, they can only pull OBD-II (1996 and newer)

You get the code by jumping the pins in the DIAG port like when you do the timing then count the times the CEL blinks.

V6:
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...85diagnosi.pdf

22RE:
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...26diagnosi.pdf

 

I run my 3.slow fully cranked (w/o going to the next tooth) this is about 25?.
Then again, I've polished the turd as far as it'll go. You can feel the difference in the seat of the pants - it's that much!
Plus at stock timing I get high EGTs.
I need to jump a tooth and do some more testing at even higher timing. I'm sure it'll run even better, only reason I haven't done it is because I'm lazy.

 

I advanced my timing to 14 degrees btdc a few years ago with great success - more power and better gas mileage. After all this reading regarding up to 21 degress I decided to give it a try. Instead of going through the trouble of hooking up a timing light I just marked the base of the distributer and turned it clockwise and drove it a few minutes. No pinging, a little more responsive so I'll leave it for a while and advance more the next time! Thanks for the inspiration MudHippy! I don't endorse NOT using a timing light but as long as there's no pinging, it should be ok. Easy enough to go back to my last timing setting!

 

Hey, no problem Kaimuki4Runner. I thank the OP of this thread, thanks FORSAKEN!

Well, I have to drive a certain way to get them numbers. Sloooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwly accelerating to get up to cruising speed with 4.30 gears. When I put the peddle to the floor though, I get worse mpg than I would've before I advanced the timing. Lots more power of course, which has actually made my truck alot nicer to drive on the street too.

My exhaust is very close to straight pipes. The cat has 1 of the 3 elements still intact, so it's not totally "open" at this point. LOUD as all hell though.

 

I run my 3.0 4runner set at 13 BTDC , but my MPG is not to great, especially in city driving (i get ~ 11-12 MPG).
I use 97 octane gas (europe) , so what you think , can i try to advance the timing to ~ 15-17 BTDC ?

Thanks

 

Yes. As long as you get no pinging.

 

Ok, I always did my timing by ear. But it did have some pinging so I got a light and checked it.

It was at the 1 mark on the motor. Guessing that thats 10*. So I put it to the stock 5* and it's so slow. So it's about 8* now. But it pings alittle up hills, not as bad as before though. I only run 87 octane. You guys say you run 12-15*. That can't be right. BTDC (before top dead center correct?) That wouldn't even be on the stock gauge on the motor?