I started commuting 40 miles round trip for my new job about 2 months ago so I switched from 93 to 87 octane and had been too lazy to go through the spark tables to lower values and fix areas where I was logging KR.

Well, the car seemed to be running good after I snugged up all the TPI bolts, and I was beating the snot out of it on the way home through a forest preserve. Evidently, I'd had a little vacuum leak because my MAP values were ~5kPa higher then previous logs. It got as high as 97kPa on the log, and was pulling out 10+* of timing. As I pulled up at the light, I noticed the car was idling a bit rougher. I got home and there is oil coming out of the dipstick tube and fill hole. Took the cap off and I can feel some blow-by.

Good bye ring seal.

Anyway, just a heads up if there's anyone else out there who isn't too worried about having knock retard. At least now I've got a reason to build an LT1 top-ended, junkyard spray motor.

 

Man, I hate hearing about a motor dieing.
It's also why I continually mention the short comings of acoustic knock sensors, and reading the plugs.

If your going to spray it, just remember doing that means being even more vigil about looking for any signs of detonation, pre-ignition.

 

For sure.

I always just made myself believe that it was false knock considering the car has been throwing a Code 43 since I bought it.

Eh, 163k miles isn't bad for a motor that's been beaten on it's whole life. Most don't even make it that long