How to Gap a Spark Plug
For car customizers and auto enthusiasts, engine performance is a priority. One way to accomplish this is to set new gaps on your car engine’s spark plugs. Here are the tools and steps you need to set gaps on a set of spark plugs.
Why Gap Spark Plugs?
For an internal combustion engine to work, fuel needs to be ignited to push the pistons down the cylinder with enough force to move the flywheel. The source of ignition for most engines is the spark plug. Spark plugs work by creating an electric arc from the electrode found in the plug. The electric arc produced in the spark plug is exposed to the fuel-air mixture found in the cylinder, and causes the combustion cycle to commence.
The gap is the distance between the center electrode and the ground electrode. Some customizers and specialists in auto modification set the distance of the gap to improve the efficiency of the car engine. Gapping is also a measure that you can take if you need to repair older or ruined spark plugs.
Tools
To gap a spark plug, you need the following tools:
Owner’s manual of your vehicle
Socket wrench with an extending ratchet
Gapping tool (you can buy this tool from any automotive supply shop)
Steps
To set the gap on a spark plug, follow these steps:
Refer to your owner’s manual to check the prescribed distances for spark plug gapping.
With the socket wrench and ratchet, remove the spark plugs from their receptacles. Make sure that you memorize or take note of the order of the spark plugs.
Remove any debris or dirt found in the spark plug electrodes.
Check the gap with the gapping tool. If the gap is too wide, you can push the ground electrode on a flat surface to narrow the gap.
If the gap is too narrow, push the gapping tool into the gap between the center and ground electrode until you reach the correct distance indicated on the gapping tool.
Once you have set the gaps on all spark plugs, replace them on the engine block in the proper order, and test the engine.
Car customization and engine modification may not be for everyone, but it pays to have a little know-how on the in’s and out’s of engine and auto modification and repair. With these steps, you can safely gap the spark plugs on your car to improve efficiency and performance.