How much spark plug gap

It is advisable to double check that the gap is correctly set to the vehicle's recommended setting when installing spark plugs. The gap setting is different for each vehicle but most are somewhere between 0.

Clean the spark plug. If it is new, this shouldn't be an issue; however, if you are checking a spark plug that is currently in the vehicle, it might be dirty on the contact points. Never use abrasive materials to clean a spark plug. Measure the existing gap of the spark plug. Using your gap gauge or feeler gauge, run the tool through the electrodes to determine the measurement. Take note of the measurement and compare it to the recommended setting listed in the owner's manual. Make any needed adjustments.

Select the correct measurement on your gap gauge or feeler gauge. If the tool runs through the gap without touching the electrodes, the gap is too big and must be narrowed.

Use your spark plug gap tool to adjust the gap. A spark-plug gap gauge both measures and adjusts the gap and is inexpensive and simple to use. There are different types of gap gauges, but they all basically function the same way; simply locate the recommended gap for the spark plugs in your vehicle and then insert the gauge edge into the gap and measure the distance between the electrodes. Should the gap be too narrow, the mechanic will gently pry the gap apart with the gauge.

On the other hand, should the gap be too wide, it can be narrowed by the mechanic's squeezing the electrodes closer together with a tool or pushing the bottom electrode down onto a tabletop. Spark plugs undergo a remarkable amount of stress because they experience electrical currents of tens of thousands of volts, hundreds of degrees of heat, and constant vibration.

Eventually, all spark plugs will wear out and need to be replaced. The voltage requirement is directly proportional to the gap size. The larger the gap, the more voltage is needed to jump the gap.

Most experienced tuners know that increasing the gap size increases the spark area exposed to the air-fuel mixture, which maximizes burn efficiency.

For this reason, most racers add high-energy ignition systems. Your house electrical current can kill you too, but it's only Volts, BUT it has 15 - 20 Amps pushing that Voltage behind it. Get hit by your house's Volt system are you will most likely die. Not because of the Volts. Again, it isn't Volts that kill you think of a stun gun , it's Amps. Most Volt outlets are for running heavier equipment such as your dryer, a welder, etc, and have between 20 - 50 Amps behind them.

That kind of current will light your ass up and fry you, but a 50, Volt jolt from a spark plug won't, unless you are screwing around with a serious ignition system like what a Top Alcohol or Fueler engine runs with 40 Amps behind them. They even have decals on the tops of the dual magnetos saying "Caution! Lethal Current". Your ignition system may have lots of Voltage, but no Amperage.

This gets even more true when you are running too rich and have too wet of a mixture. It's harder to light a fire in the rain than it is on a dry summer day.