anything to help spark knock

[bobby5]

is there anything i can do to prevent spark knock. I was thinking about getting the Westers tune, could they progrom it to help spark knock?

[Butch 02 Denali]

is there anything i can do to prevent spark knock. I was thinking about getting the Westers tune, could they progrom it to help spark knock?

 

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Bobby, if your getting knock now, a Wester's tune won't help unless he gives you a tune that is less than stock. You need to fix your problem first.

 

What year/engine do you have?

Any modifications?

 

Some common causes of knocking are:

Dirty mafs

Bad or sticking EGR valve

Clogged or mismatched injectors.

Clogged fuel filter or bad pump

Clogged cat

Bad 02 sensors

Bad knock sensors

Intake leak

Bad coils/ignition

and many more!!!

[bobby5]

is there anything i can do to prevent spark knock. I was thinking about getting the Westers tune, could they progrom it to help spark knock?

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Bobby, if your getting knock now, a Wester's tune won't help unless he gives you a tune that is less than stock. You need to fix your problem first.

 

What year/engine do you have?

Any modifications?

 

Some common causes of knocking are:

Dirty mafs

Bad or sticking EGR valve

Clogged or mismatched injectors.

Clogged fuel filter or bad pump

Clogged cat

Bad 02 sensors

Bad knock sensors

Intake leak

Bad coils/ignition

and many more!!!

 

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Its a brand new 2005 2500HD 6.0 with 5000 miles on it

[snoman]

is there anything i can do to prevent spark knock. I was thinking about getting the Westers tune, could they progrom it to help spark knock?

 

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Bobby, if your getting knock now, a Wester's tune won't help unless he gives you a tune that is less than stock. You need to fix your problem first.

 

What year/engine do you have?

Any modifications?

 

Some common causes of knocking are:

Dirty mafs

Bad or sticking EGR valve

Clogged or mismatched injectors.

Clogged fuel filter or bad pump

Clogged cat

Bad 02 sensors

Bad knock sensors

Intake leak

Bad coils/ignition

and many more!!!

 

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Its a brand new 2005 2500HD 6.0 with 5000 miles on it

 

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A custom tune does it best with higher octane fuel. If you are worried about knock on pump gas you are not going to get your moneys worth from a westers. Custom tunes use more aggressive timing and fuel curves and that does not play well with 87 octane and besides since Plus is only 3 to 4% more than 87, why not at least use plus or better?

[Butch 02 Denali]

Bobby,

 

Maybe I misunderstood, are you getting pinging now?

[Haulin' 8.1]

You really can't use a tune to correct a base engine problem. I've been able to correct this twice here lately by raising the fuel pressure, but that was on trucks where the pressure was known to be below spec. There are numerous causes of spark knock. You should take it to someone who can and will be able to find and repair the cause.

 

In the meantime read through these posts:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=40531

 

and

 

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39982

 

Vernon

[bobby5]

Ive read on here that alot of 6.0 have the CSK. Will higher octane help this?

[GM-Tech]

CSK (cold start knock) and spark knock are two totally different things.

[whitesnake01]

What is spark knock? Is this different from self detonation and over advanced spark timing (however caused)?

 

I would personally not jump to a 3rd party tune, while under warranty, when the truck is not running well. You would just be setting yourself up for a potential denial of service for a legitimate problem.

[BlackSilver]

One-word cure for spark knock ----->DuraMax!

[snoman]

One-word cure for spark knock ----->DuraMax! 

 

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But diesels knock all the time, just for a different reason and if you every got stuck behind one pulling a heavy load up a hill and were in its exhaust stream because the wind was right you would not be a happy camper as they can really stink! They need to work on that aspect.

[Haulin' 8.1]

Knock knock. Who's there?

 

What is spark knock? Is this different from self detonation and over advanced spark timing (however caused)?

 

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This seems to be a problem on this board, there's so many of us from all over the place that it seems almost everyone has a different vocabulary. Do you want a Coke, soda, pop, soft drink, or what?

 

By mentioning "spark" with knock I would assume the original poster was refering to fuel self detonation, usually refered to as "spark knock" and "detonation" in technical circles. Over advanced spark timing is just another way to cause it, but not what it is. It will also be refered to as ping(ing) and probably a few other things. But since he then used the accronym CSK in his next post, which GM-Tech thankfully identified as Cold Start Knock, he could have been talking about the noise you hear on cold start-up in engines with excessive piston clearance. This is also refered to as "Piston Slap" by certain partys.

 

What is happening there (CSK) is that as the crank throw for a cylinder passes the top of it's travel the piston rocks over like a teeter-totter switching sides and clanks agaist the bore when it runs out of slack. You usually only hear it on the power stroke as this is when cylinder pressure is high enough to generate a loud noise when it rocks. As long as the noise goes away as the engine reaches operating temperature this is normal. The pistons expand a certain amount as they heat up. So the engine designers set clearances so that at full expansion the piston will fit just right. In piston technology metals that expand the most are stronger than those that expand very little. So it's not that GM is using cheaper pistons that in your passenger car, in fact it's just the opposite. In order to provide a stronger piston for your hard working truck engine they used a high expansion strong alloy that will fit a little loose when cold. Obviously a Malibu doesn't experience the load that a truck will so designers can get away with a weaker low expansion piston that fits tigher when cold. Therefore when Sally safe driver loads up the kids and heads off to Wal-Mart for groceries she hears only the A/C blowing full blast, and her kids trying to yell over the stereo. No piston rock noise to cause any undue anxiety. Very important point here --> normal for a car and normal for a truck are two different things.

 

Now the same "piston rocking" noise can indicate a real problem when it doesn't go away at full operating temperature. That would indicate a worn out bore, cracked or undersized piston, or similar. If it is something that develops all of a sudden expect engine damage, if it develops slowly over many miles of use it could be time for a rebuild.

 

To add to the mix I've also witnessed confusion here over CSK and valve train clatter on start-up. This is a dense light clatter on most any start-up that is usually caused by a cheap or defective oil filter or incorrect oil wieght. If the filter lets the oil drain back through it on shut down your vavle train will develop excessive clearance as soon as it's put back into motion causing much noise as the valves are cycled open and closed. Once the pump has had enough time to repressureize the entire engine the hydraulic lifters will pump back up and remove all the slack. This usually takes only a few seconds, though occasionally a lifter will stick down and may or may not pump up for any length of time leaving a click. If the clatter noise doesn't go away within twenty seconds or so shut the engine off and check your oil and look for a oil delivery problem.

 

One of the hardest things about offering free advice on the net is getting a good description of the problem. The more information the better.

 

Vernon

[whitesnake01]

Thanks for explaining.

 

By mentioning "spark" with knock I would assume the original poster was refering to fuel self detonation, usually refered to as "spark knock" and "detonation" in technical circles.  Over advanced spark timing is just another way to cause it, but not what it is.  It will also be refered to as ping(ing) and probably a few other things.

I am not clear on what the "it" part you refer to is, or what the "first" way to cause it besides "another" way. Are you saying that one source of detonation is as secondary effect of sustained and uncorrected premature spark induced ignition? Or are you saying that it (spark knock) is sometimes a synonym for pinging? I have personal experience with detonation, having towed many miles with a supercharged 454. Not what I would call pinging or spark knock. You can sometimes band-aid detonation by manually pulling back the timing, since this reduces the heat that eventually triggers detonation. You can also dump more fuel into the cylinders to help cool the mixture a bit, an on-the-road trick you sometimes have to depend upon when you just got to cross that interstate through the desert on a hot day. But this is like throwing HP out the window.

 

Or have I mixed up my terms? I am not a gear head, so excuse my ignorance.

 

Thanks,

[facn8me]

Yes he's saying that all these terms are the same. Spark knock, detonation, pre-ignition, and pinging(probably missing some) If you have spark knock now the cause needs to be found. Some common causes of knocking are:

Dirty mafs

Bad or sticking EGR valve

Clogged or mismatched injectors.

Clogged fuel filter or bad pump

Clogged cat

Bad 02 sensors

Bad knock sensors

Intake leak

Bad coils/ignition

bad/misadjusted fuel regulator

And several more. Being it's under warrenty definatly have it looked at. Prolonged pinging will cause lot's of damage. But you know that. I would imagine the aluminum heads have changed the sound a bit to what you are used to. Check out haulin8.1's thread on the fuel pressure reg. It's a good read and a possible problem. It may also just need a factory revision of the stock tune. Common problem also. The initial cause should be addressed before a custom tune would help.