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Spark Knock - READ ONLY

10 messages,  Last post on Jan 01, 2003 at 7:57 PM

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Messages Page 2 of 2

#9 of 10 Different Vehicle, Same Problem by buffalonickel

Jan 01, 2003 (6:26 pm)

Two years ago my 94 Toyota PU was knocking. I took it in and the mechanics mused over it. They listened and gave the engine a once-over. All the settings were within the factory specs. The truck had around 90,000 miles. The service manager decided to call California for recommendations and to check on anything that Toyota may be running into with this sort of problem. They said that this is "the way it is." Recommended retarding the timing by 3-5 degrees and to burn premium fuel.
 
The dealer ran some kind of stuff through the engine that burned out the carbon that caused the knock. I filled up with premium and there were no more problems. One year ago we bumped the timing back up to within 1 degree of factory specs. No problem.
 
The service manager is suspicious of the gasoline. You see in St. Louis we have additives that burn cleaner fuel since the EPA has declared the St. Louis area as polluted (Like L.A.). This "additive" has been known to ruin the gaskets in the older carburetor vehicles in our area (although we own a Corolla with a carb and that car has 210,000 miles with no problems).
 
So, like smithmga....has anyone else had spark knock problems? The truck in question here is a 4 cylinder 22RE.
 
Do you guys have additives in your gasoline and the hulking-big gas hoses that suck back the fumes from the gas tank like we do in St. Louis?
 
BN+

#10 of 10 so what ya got down there, methanol? by swschrad

Jan 01, 2003 (7:57 pm)

that slop eats gasket compound off every engine, nobody recommends more than 1% methanol at best.
 
ethanol and MTBE are the oxygenates in general use for boosting octane. you can run up to 10% ethanol in fords from 90 on, unless you have an E-85 capable engine, in which case you can run up to 85% ethanol (the 4-poppers in the line are about all "green leaf" engines.)
 
recapturing gasoline vapors in the gas station tank is NOT a contributor to engine rot, but to pocketbook rot
 
the state has been told what the makeup of your area gas is, and the refineries are probably boasting about the formulation as well. AFAIK, only Chevron and (formerly Koch) Flint Hills have busted their butts to make a majority of their fuel meet the 2005 oxygenation standards now.

Messages Page 2 of 2

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