1978 Chevrolet Impala from North America - Comments

19th Jun 2006, 07:34

"Solid roomy car with lots of character"

What things have gone wrong with the car?

Alternator, Starter motor,

General comments?

Big busty powerful car.

I bought this for $500Cdn from a guy who used it to drive around the corner to the mall and back.

I love it since it gets the respect on the road that I don't get with my Tercel. Go figure!

Can't seem to get rid of the pinging though. Adjusted timing/changed plugs, but that helped only a little. Tried higher octane gas as well. Any ideas?


19th Jun 2006, 15:03

"Can't seem to get rid of the pinging though. Adjusted timing/changed plugs, but that helped only a little. Tried higher octane gas as well. Any ideas?"

- Possibilities... Flush the cooling system & put in a new thermostat. Running too hot will cause pinging & the cooling system work will make it run cooler.

Also, in a car this old, there may be a carbon build up on the piston tops which would increase the compression ratio & lead to pinging.

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19th Jun 2006, 18:45

I had a 1979 Impala years ago with the 305 engine and it pinged. Only way to get rid of ping was to use higher octane gas. More costly, but it gets rid of ping.

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20th Jun 2006, 00:38

Try decoking the cylinder heads.

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20th Jun 2006, 14:06

My '78 Skylark would ping on anything, but premium gas.. had to use 92 octane at all times. Not sure why that is, but give it a try.

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26th Sep 2006, 13:29

Looks like I will have to live with the pinging. My only worry is that it will damage the engine if I don't fix it. It disappears if I press harder on the gas, so it's only noticeable for a short period. I really appreciate the tips though. We have to keep these cars running nicely on the road where they belong!

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15th Dec 2006, 09:22

Unfortunately had to get rid of the car. Got fed up with trying to repair it outside my house in the cold. In the end it just wouldn't start. Could have been the timing chain or fuel pump (in the gas tank). I had replaced plugs, wires, distributor cap fuel pump, fuel filter, checked timing. Disappointing really. Gave it away to Kidney Foundation:

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15th Dec 2006, 15:40

The advance springs in the distributor may need replacement, as this may cause pinging.

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15th Mar 2007, 14:54

Aw ya got rid of it that's sad. I own a 78 impala and I love my car wouldn't sell it for any price been very dependable over the last 3 years. Just wish they would have stayed in the muscle car market.

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11th Sep 2007, 23:15

Pinging is generally due to a stuck EGR valve. Recirculating exhaust gases into the combustion process cools temperatures and prevents pinging.

If you have this issue, replace the EGR, and it'll likely go away.

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1st Mar 2008, 11:00

Well like I said, it's now gone...away..completely.

Never mind.

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