SuzukiSavage.com - Knocking/pinging?!?!

barry68v10

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Knocking/pinging?!?!
09/16/07 at 04:00:37

Well, it may have been a bad tank of gas, or whatever. But my Suzi developed a hard ping at WOT up to about 5000 rpms. I know my bike was set very lean, especially because of the outrageous gas mileage I've been getting. (70 mpg if highway and 65 mph or slower.) But I figure, "Suzi gotta learn to eat what I feed her." So I did the white spacer mod yesterday, no spacer at all now. (Couldn't find a #4 nylon washer at the local HW store.) Stock jets. After a quick test ride, it seems the problem is gone, and just as expected, low end power and throttle response improved.
I've always run 87 octane (85 in Colorado) in the Suzi and remember a post where we discussed that no Savage known has had a ping, well can't say that anymore.

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barry68v10

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Re: Knocking/pinging?!?!
Reply #1 - 09/16/07 at 04:05:59

If anyone still cares, the only other mod I had on my bike other than 17/43 chain conversion was I wrapped my header to the muffler with heat tape. That did improve my highway gas mileage, but may have contributed to the super lean condition.

It was 90 degrees out at sea level with relatively low humidity when the hard pinging occurred for the first time, and continued at 65 degrees and relatively high humidity. All with the same tank of gas.

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petc0ck mod, white spacer removed, 150 main jet, 12.5" shocks, 16" turnout muff, oil cooler mod, chain conversion, Tkat brace, external fuel filter, fuel screen removed...

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Savage_Greg

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Re: Knocking/pinging?!?!
Reply #2 - 09/16/07 at 08:38:20

barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

I've always run 87 octane (85 in Colorado) in the Suzi and remember a post where we discussed that no Savage known has had a ping, well can't say that anymore.

There's a possible hint...

Ping is not always caused by the octane level in the gas. It can also be attributed to things like a carbonized piston or might be confused with pre-ignition.

Removing the spacer entirely might make your engine overly rich which could contribute to even more carbon build-up.

Just a thought, because your bike sounds more like an exception to the rule.

BTW - your mileage figures are pretty fantastic. Another exception to the rule too? Any reason for that?

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #3 - 09/18/07 at 13:45:40 Quote: It can also be attributed to things like a carbonized piston So are you saying my lean condition caused a carbonized piston? Guess the only way to confirm that would be to pull the head...
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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #4 - 09/18/07 at 13:59:23 Oh, I should add that I will continue to run 87 octane...
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Savage_Greg

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Re: Knocking/pinging?!?!
Reply #5 - 09/18/07 at 14:04:29

barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09:

So are you saying my lean condition caused a carbonized piston?

Guess the only way to confirm that would be to pull the head...

No. Personally, I'm not convinced about the lean condition even though you have the highest claimed mileage for a Savage that I've ever heard...(most people complain about low mileage)

What I was responding to was the "knocking/pinging", which is an unusual condition for such a low compression engine anyway.

Aside from that, your carb probably still needs help because you made a radical change on the spacer, but no change at all to the main jet, pilot jet or air screw...

...I guess what I'm thinking is that something else is going on here, too.

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #6 - 09/18/07 at 14:10:34 Oh, sorry...the air screw or "mixture screw" has been changed. Didn't mean to leave that off... I'll know more when I run this tank out and fill up again. It just started with this tank of gas. I'm applying "KISS"
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #7 - 09/18/07 at 14:16:20 barry68v10 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:09: Oh, sorry...the air screw or "mixture screw" has been changed. Didn't mean to leave that off... I'll know more when I run this tank out and fill up again. It just started with this tank of gas. I'm applying "KISS" Yes, use KISS. One item at a time
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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #8 - 09/18/07 at 14:17:27 Just to ensure the record stays straight, my 70 mpg is rounded. 115 miles with 1.7 gal fill is 67.65 mpg, which is not technically 70.
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #9 - 09/19/07 at 07:00:46 Why didn't you just round it up to 100? Did you drive 20 mph for the entire 115 miles? Or, where did you find such a long downhill grade?
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firsts40 Senior Member Offline Proud PGR Member Posts: 316 South Mississippi Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #10 - 09/19/07 at 11:46:56 Well Barry, my milage isn't quite that good, but last Saturday I went on a Poker Run that totalled 208 miles and I used 3.3 gallons, which comes out to be 63 MPG. I was running 65-70 for around 160 miles of it, and the rest was a lot of stop and go from 45-65 MPH. I am 100% stock
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bill67

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Re: Knocking/pinging?!?!
Reply #11 - 09/19/07 at 12:35:37

im stock only air screw richer breaking it in right i think around a lot of curvey roads and gunning it out of curves not in low gear other wise around 50 miles ahour gunning it up to 70 and letting offjust got 500 miles on it last 130 miles i got 68 miles a gallon hasnt used any oil yet new 2006 Ls650 bought for 4000 with tax my other bike is 1998 1500 intruder with all the extras on it im getting old and it is heavy for me for short trips it gets about 42 miles to gallon rides really good just heavy on the curves before that a goldwing i have had 15 different bikes most fun on 500 moto guzzi really great in curves and the best sounding v90 twin

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william h krumpen

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slavy Serious Thumper Offline smart cars for stupid people Posts: 710 Phoenix, Arizona Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #12 - 09/19/07 at 20:58:22 I am reading and rereading the complain and I have a feeling that one of the reasons for the pinging is Your riding stile. You have an WOT below 5000 rpm ! How do You give a gas- You just smack the trottle wide open ? May be You are lugging the bike too much.
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barry68v10

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Re: Knocking/pinging?!?!
Reply #13 - 09/20/07 at 03:16:11

Quote:

I have a feeling that one of the reasons for the pinging is Your riding stile.

Possible. I noticed I could treat the throttle like a picky mechanical slide system, gingerly make changes and not allow it to ping, but the kicker is my riding style hasn't changed much in 20+ years.

Now that I've got a fresh tank of gas in Suzi, I've noticed improved power, and I have a hunch if I changed everything back, I wouldn't have the problem again. I'm happy with the improved throttle response and performance so I don't intend to change anything for now. I can already see, however, that my gas mileage appears to be lower based on eyeballing the gas left in the tank. The next few fillups should tell the tale...

For now, I'm chalking the problem up to a "bad tank of gas." Now if I could remember where I filled up... ???

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barry68v10 Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 955 Maryland Gender:	Re: Knocking/pinging?!?! Reply #14 - 09/20/07 at 03:17:28 BTW, thanks to all for the input! As they say, two heads....I mean.....5 heads are better than one
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