JohnB said:
I broke a few of those trying to gap them. Very tender little suckers. Then it occured to me that I have no idea if they should be gapped to my older specs. Comepletely befuddled me. Not hard to do. What did you do just install them right out of the box?
Nope. I gap them very precisely with
proper feeler gauges at perfect ninety degree angles.
Distance is distance, no matter what metals are involved. The spark still has to bridge a fixed gap. Even the expensive iridium plugs come out of the box with widely varied gaps.
I've never had any issues in that regard. I use lightly pressured tapping on a hard-topped neoprene base mouse pad for minor adjustments, and a rubber padded desktop vice with a deep adapter and nylon shims for those plugs that are far away from specification. I use equal care when opening gaps.
NEVER scratch, scuff or otherwise damage the finish anywhere on the plug. Sparks and carbon like sharp edges, and you'll create those edges if you use
any "gapping" tool on the market. Do that, and you've wasted your money on expensive plugs.
Stay away from those tools, don't use those round gauges hanging above the counter in your parts store, and
never bend the arm one way and then back another. Kick back, watch some television, and take more time than you need. Finish an entire show during the process, and you'll know you haven't rushed it.
Without proper attention to detail, too many variables exist to determine what differences may be present between any number of spark plug technologies or brands. These parts rely on very precise qualities to do their job properly.
There is no sense spending more than a dollar for a spark plug if you are going to botch the installation. Chase the threads, clean the seats, polish the washers, and use whatever lubricant or anti-seize compound that is required, in the
proper manner (there is a right and a wrong way). Gap them carefully and properly.
At the very least, you'll be able to get them out later without removing half the head's aluminum in the process.
Cheers,
Kennith
