I noticed the last few times I drove my car, when I pull into the garage and turn it off I hear a loud ping. Almost like something metal is hitting my metal fan blade.

I just replaced both calipers on the front, new pads, new rotors new bearings, everything.

Bleed the brakes all the way around and didn't make three houses down the road before the car started sputtering and shuts off.

I got it to start back and made it to my neighbors house and again sputter then shut off. Oh this time the car back-fires. I think through the carbs.

Since I just had my tank blasted and I have already gone through 1 tank of gas and 1 fuel filter, I thought now is a great time to replace that fuel filter again. Of course outside in the dark.

Oh yea, when I pulled the first hose off the old filter, there was a flash out of the hose, like quick fire, and I heard that ping.

Got the filter on, got my car back to my garage, and as soon as I pull in, sputter, back-fire through the carbs, and off she went.

I can let it sit for a few and it will crank and idle (purr like a kitten). Then it will sputter and shut off.

What is happening to me????

By the way I have a 71' 240z.

Up till now it has been running like a dream.

please don't tell me I need an engine re-build.

I was hoping to get new struts, bushings, repair rusted panels and a paint job before I needed to spend more money on the engine.

Check for flooding, pull a spark plug and sniff for gas.

Check for flooding, pull a spark plug and sniff for gas.

Flooding may account for the back-fire, but why the ping?

Also, I don't know why it would all of the sudden start flooding. It has been running like a champ. I had a major tune up a couple weeks ago.

Old cars=sudden unexplained behavior.

The ping I can't be quite sure of but it could be timing related, it's difficult to pinpoint a sound from several thousand miles away Have someone esle turn off the car while you're up front, pinpointing the source. Could be the damper is going out, a chain, sudden spark knock from a seriously carbonized cumbustion chamber (from running rich). Experiment some more.

What was in the tune up? Sometimed the cap/rotor can have problems quickly as well. Check your timing.

Loose plug wires?

Don't know about the ping noise, it may or may not be related. But the sputter and backfire make me think it's running out of fuel, not flooded. And since it runs OK for a short time when it cools off, my best guess is a failing fuel pump. A common symptom for beginning fuel pump failure is loss of pressure when warm.

So start it up, let it run until it dies. Then open a float bowl and see if there is any gas inside. If the float is empty or very low, you have a fuel supply problem.

The strange thin is that is a bran new fuel pump.

I thought fuel starvation as well. That's why I replaced the fuel filter. Since I just had my tank cleaned the lines still had junk in them and this is just how it acted the first time I had to change the filter.

I will be checking that tonight.

Thanks,

Sure sounds like it's not getting ENOUGH fuel. After it sits, it will idle OK, then after a little while, she starts sputtering and dies.

You said that you had the fuel tank cleaned out, changed the filter ect. but have you gone through and checked all the fuel lines for any obstructions? Any kinks? How about the carbs? have you gone through and cleaned them and made sure they are adjusted properly?

As for your Pinging issue, one thing you want to make certain since you just did a tune up is that your dist. cap and rotor are of the same brand. If the cap is a diff. brand than the rotor, this can cause incorrect air gap and create such issues.

Good luck

Thanks guys,

I have not checked all fuel related issues. I had my tank sandblasted, then I had my mechanic tune the car, adjust the valves, set the timming and adjust my carbs.

This was about three weeks ago. Since then it has been running like a champ. This is why I decided to re-build the whole brake system.

For some reason all of the sudden this starts happening.

The Ping I think may be something physical. Like the A/C bracket or something.

The sputtering has to be a fuel starvation problem.

I will check to see if the filter in the carb bowl is cloged, fuel pump, lines, etc until I find the problem.

I am hopefull it will be something very simple.

Thanks for your help.

Mark

we should hook up. When I turn my car off, it goes PONG,

Get it? Ping...........Pong. Oh, nevermind.