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Triumph TR3 - Gas / Petrol

I just completed resto of my 64 4 (same running gear as TR3, I assume)and she pings, so my question is:

a) Is using 91 octane not sufficient enough, could this be the problem?
b) Timed distributor at roughly 4-10 deg. BTDC

Could a completly empty tank with a little winter gas and the use of 91 octane cause this and do most of you use 94 simply for this reason?

Thanks, Dino
Dino

Even a bit of old gas left in the tank all winter will cause starting and other problems. I always leave as little as possible, then add 10 liters of new high octane gas in the spring from a jerry can. This lets me get to the gas station where i fill up with thw highest octane i can find.

All summer long, I use the highest octane I can find. If I'm in USA, the octane numbers are higher so I buy that.

My TR3A never pings. If it does after you go through the above suggestion, I'd say you need to tune the engine.

If it is pinging on hard acceleration, it is too "advanced" so you need to retard the timing on the distributor cap till it doesn't ping any more. You will find your acceleration is better as well.

I have never used a timing light to time my TR3A in 47 years (162.000 miles).

Don Elliott, Original Owner, TS 27489 LO
http://www.zen21606.zen.co.uk/Forum%20Gallery/don3a2_big.jpg
Don Elliott

Hi Dino,
Don has more experience with this engine than you or I will ever have, so I'm sure he is right!
I would just add that if you have shaved the head for higher compression this may be a contributing factor, as might a cooling system not working as it should.
If the engine is tight from a rebuild that might also cause this problem.
How's the car going, other than the pinging?
Simon.
Simon

Thanks for the info Don, so I guess what you are saying is that "old" gas and lower octane other than 94 will cause some sort of engine related blips, right. And using the highest available will eliminate such occurences.

Simon, car all done, other than above, she's a real charm. Taking the body off, new floors and sills, new bolts and thick rubber washers as well as overall patient workmanship, really paid off. The car is real quiet (no bangs, crash etc...)

Soerted out all electrical issues, bad voltage stabilizer making guages innoperable so all o.k.

Looking forward to doing some serious mileage.

Left the bumpers off and now will get some 7" spots for the front for that "works" look.

Cheers, Dino
Dino

I have always used regular unleaded in my TR4 (the last 4 years). I did retard the timing a bit with the wheel on the side of the distributor when I detected a bit of pinging, haven't touched it since. Last summer I started a TR3 that had old gas in it for who knows how long, there was a little left and it smelled bad. I put a couple gallons of fresh in and tried it. No go. I cleaned out the float bowls and added fresh gas to them. It started, and seemed to rev OK (I didn't drive it out of the garage), bit it blew black soot all over out the exhaust. Best to get that bad gas out, seems like it goes sour sooner than it used to. You'll have the old stuff gone soon enough, just retard until it stops pinging, then advance just a bit to try it, go back if you have to. All part of the fun.
Tom

This thread was discussed between 01/04/2005 and 02/04/2005

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