I had a hard time with the "tech" or "talk" question, but for lack of a "SWAG" forum, I decided it's more tech. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
It's passed midnight and I'm up researching my pinging problem, and the proverbial lightbulb just went on. Here it goes:
My spark plugs were all fouled-up with carbon, indicating a rich mixture or weak ignition. My coil checks out fine...I don't know about the rich mixture, but I have a new O2 sensor, no codes, and have been going through fuel injector cleaner like mad. So I'm figuring that the pinging is due to carbon deposits in the CC, but *if* I'm not running rich, and my ignition is okay, then why the carbon? So it just occured to me...that little braided grounding wire on the back of the head. It wasn't there when I replaced the head (some yokel must've lost it when replacing the HG prior to me), so I didn't know about it until a couple months ago. I saw one on a junkyard Trooper and thought it might be something I should have, but had no idea why, so I snagged it and installed it. Can you even believe I fussed with that bolt on the back of the head for about an hour, without a clue as to why that ground needed to be there? Anyways, my idea is that the time spent without that ground explains the weak ignition, causing carbon build-up, causing pinging. Does this make sense?
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Phil