Maybe, i'll try retarding it just a little, my timing light is broken at the moment so before i get a new one i'll just do it by ear, i've done it before.
Knocking on full throttle from standstill / low speed.
- Thread starter FCD
- Start date
Pull the plugs, and look for little aluminum splotches on the center electrode. Detonation can melt aluminum off the piston. I had a cycle engine completely melt a hole thru both pistons in literally about a second and a half, when I had mis-jetted it.
Post clear, close-up pics of the plugs.
Post clear, close-up pics of the plugs.
Italian tune up time
Will do
If you did it by ear - that may be why it's off now.
Doing timing by ear (and listening to the smoothness of the idle) usually results in way too much initial advance.
I agree with the timing light. It’s essential.
Have you pulled the distributor cap and thoroughly inspected it as well as the rotor and the rest? Does this still use a vacuum advance? If so check the associated vacuum lines plus everything associated with that distributor.
Have you pulled the distributor cap and thoroughly inspected it as well as the rotor and the rest? Does this still use a vacuum advance? If so check the associated vacuum lines plus everything associated with that distributor.
Yeah you could be right.
Yes i have, rotor and cap are both only 6000 miles old, and yes it uses vacuum advance and the hose is in good shape.
the ford CVH, sometimes known as the NVH
your engine is on the the wikipedia page lol
your engine is on the the wikipedia page lol
Ah yes, the Noise Vibration and Harshness lol, it is true though, they do sound really harsh at high revs, but you get used to it.
At least the injection versions are reasonably peppy and fun for 105hp thanks to the 4.27 final drive Ford put in the XR3i, they're reliable and as long as you don't have a lead foot will do 30-35Mpg.
The fact that it is on the Wikipedia page is no coincidence, i uploaded the pic myself.
Last edited:
Plugs look good. Now use a vacuum tool to check operation of the vacuum advance. The hose may be good but the diaphragm in the advance can may be torn. In performance applications, timing should be set so that maximum advance is achieved - but not exceeded**. Do you have access to a dial back timing light - or is your balancer degreed up to 35 or 40 degrees?
** on old head designs usually 32-36 degrees at 3500+ rpm
** on old head designs usually 32-36 degrees at 3500+ rpm
Looking at those plugs you have a carbon build up causing lean condition. Put plugs in carbon soak, run for a short bit down Interstate or open road then replace plugs. While there get a timing light then set timing but you have to do this in this sequence.
Thanks for the help.
I did a little experiment that is unrelated yesterday, i ordered up a new air filter that won't arrive until tomorrow so i decided i would take my dad to his doctors' appointment despite having no air filter.( naughty naughty i know )
When i came back home i realised it smelled like it was running rich all of the sudden and sure enough i let the engine cool down, pulled the plugs and sure enough the plugs look pretty dark, it's also idling high.
K-Jetronic is a pretty quirky system and it is pretty sensitive to anything not being exactly right so tomorrow i'll put the new filter in and see what happens, i guess moving around the fuel distributor maybe could have been enough to upset the mixture in some way and i might have to drive to my friend's home who has an exhaust gas analyser and adjust the mixture ( all it takes is a long 3mm allen key ) , i will keep you posted.
To those of you not familiar with K-Jet or CIS as it is also known it has no ECU so you manually adjust the mixture, and Ford do recommend it should be checked yearly and adjusted if needed accordingly to a CO level of about 0.85-1.25, although the general consensus among owners of these Escorts with K-Jet is that they run best at around 1.5.
I did a little experiment that is unrelated yesterday, i ordered up a new air filter that won't arrive until tomorrow so i decided i would take my dad to his doctors' appointment despite having no air filter.( naughty naughty i know )
When i came back home i realised it smelled like it was running rich all of the sudden and sure enough i let the engine cool down, pulled the plugs and sure enough the plugs look pretty dark, it's also idling high.
K-Jetronic is a pretty quirky system and it is pretty sensitive to anything not being exactly right so tomorrow i'll put the new filter in and see what happens, i guess moving around the fuel distributor maybe could have been enough to upset the mixture in some way and i might have to drive to my friend's home who has an exhaust gas analyser and adjust the mixture ( all it takes is a long 3mm allen key ) , i will keep you posted.
To those of you not familiar with K-Jet or CIS as it is also known it has no ECU so you manually adjust the mixture, and Ford do recommend it should be checked yearly and adjusted if needed accordingly to a CO level of about 0.85-1.25, although the general consensus among owners of these Escorts with K-Jet is that they run best at around 1.5.
Update, i haven't touched a thing, except i changed the fuel filter on Jan 1st, inspection on the 7th and it passed no problems, the co came out at 0.14% which is interesting, after running about 2 tanks of V-Power through it now and driving it like i stole it, i can't hear knocking anymore even under full throttle from low rpms, in fact i took the plugs out again as they are extremely easily accessible on these engines, and i couldn't take pics but i would swear the tops of the pistons look clener.
Perhaps it is still running a little on the lean side, but i might just leave it that way as Shell V-Power 98 ( Our 98 is your 91-93 ) is rapidly approaching the equivalent of 8$ per gallon here in Spain... and it's averaging around 30-35Mpg right now driving it easy , more like 20 driving it hard.
New Fuel Filter by Lauri Lind, en Flickr
Brothers in Arms by Lauri Lind, en Flickr
Perhaps it is still running a little on the lean side, but i might just leave it that way as Shell V-Power 98 ( Our 98 is your 91-93 ) is rapidly approaching the equivalent of 8$ per gallon here in Spain... and it's averaging around 30-35Mpg right now driving it easy , more like 20 driving it hard.
New Fuel Filter by Lauri Lind, en FlickrBrothers in Arms by Lauri Lind, en Flickr
I would also say that the butt dyno says it runs better on V-Power, feels more "peppy"
Similar threads
