Chevrolet Repair: 91 chevy 1500 ext cab 4X4, chevy 1500, knock sensor

Question
QUESTION:  When i am accelerating you can hear a engine pining sound  and also is lacking power.  I was told it is the knock sensor.  What does the the knock sensor do?  Is that what you would say is the problem.

ANSWER: Hey,

 It isn't going to be the knock sensor. You need to have someone check the ignition timing as well as check the distributor itself. The reluctor magnet spline gets cracked and starts to walk bacwards causing that problem. The knock sensor is designed to retard ignition timg when there is ping but if you retarded it any more it is probably already maxed out.

W

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I JUST HAD MY TRUCK TIMED AND THE VALVES SET BY A MECHANIC AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME IT WAS THE KNOCK SENSOR

Answer
Well, if it is lacking power than it is only going to get worse if the knock sensor wasnt working.  The knock sensor is a piezoelectric crystal sensor that creates a small voltage when vibrations are picked up.  The vibrations that are caused by PING (pre-ignition) are managed by this sensors ability to tell the EST to retard the ignition timing.  IT may be at its max retard at the moment anyways.  If the mechanic retards the ignition timing does the knock go away? because if he does and it has less power than now its obviously not the knock sensor.

WAyne