PINGING

OK---Here's the thing!

"Pinging" sounds exactly like taking a ball peen hammer and striking an anvil, it sorta has a "Ring" to it. This is caused from "detonation" or your combustion chamber firing prematurely, the "Ring" or "Ping" is the explosion sorta pushing down on the rod before it gets past TDC and starts downward (as if it wants to turn the engine in the opposite direction.)

"Rocker Arm Clatter" is a Rattling sound as the Rocker Arm(s) exhibit Slack within the valve train. On a manual tranny, too high of a gear, while in a strain will rattle the rockers a lot!

Really sounds as if Clatter, might be you!

Check your timing, vacuum advance(if you have that!) Maybe try a Higher Grade of "Liquid Gold" at the Fuel pumps. Maybe an Octane booster additive. Maybe do the "Lesser of the Evils". If you can find fuel with little or no "Corn added to it", that may help. If your lifters are not working correctly, you may also experience "Ticking" at Idle (slack). Sometimes substituting a quart of oil (at oil change time) for a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil will clean the lifters (or tappets) and they will "seal off, as they were designed to do". This will maybe once again, take the slack out of the valve train as it is supposed to.

Pinging is a whole nother animal, sometimes caused from the same issues (timing or octane).A leaking head gasket into the chambers can do this too. Still, I think you are referring to "Door #1"

The Medic

I'm gonna vote for #2, octane/timing issue. Try adding a couple gallons of premium and see if it goes away? I'm wonderin if that motor/year has a knock sensor?

Maybe "Socket Man" will show up and straighten the both of us out!

The Medic

Just read mine again---I meant to say they were referring to door #2 also! Sorta had a Brain.I mean, Sorta got lost in my hunting and pecking. As "Pinging" has been passed around as a Generic Term for any engine racket. If you ever do really hear it, you will never forget the Ringing sound, it's usually low, and you must really "tune in" to it---Like with the radio off!

The Medic