![]() Before you get to work installing new plugs, make sure to educate customers on the importance of premium options. ![]() Gapping is one of the last steps in getting customers set up with the ideal ignition products for their needs. This should be the only gapping tool used in your shop, especially when it comes to iridium finewire spark plugs. With a selection of wire loops and a hook, this gauge helps in measuring the gap, gently bending the electrode and then re-measuring until correct. The right tool must be more delicate.Ī wire loop gauge is the preferred gapping tool because of its combination of accuracy and damage-free operation when used properly. Specifically, this gauge could break off the electrode or cause damage to iridium-enhanced or true iridium finewire. Long ago, this was the standard tool for the job, but it has been surpassed due to its potential for damage. The original ramp-style gauge was inserted in-between the center and ground electrodes, spun along its angled surface to the proper gap and then pulled out. The gauges used for gapping have also evolved. A combination of a steady hand and a trusty gapping tool is needed to take on this task.įortunately, spark plug metallurgy is not the only engineering advancement in automotive ignition. Even though they can potentially deliver more than 100,000 miles of ignition, 0.6mm or 0.5mm iridium finewire can be destroyed during gapping. This is especially true of iridium plugs. Too large and the voltage required from the coil may be too great.īecause spark plugs are precision-made products, any adjustment has the potential to greatly affect performance. Too small of a gap and the flame kernel may not have enough room to expand. Without the right gap, the plug may not be able to ignite the air-fuel mixture or create the necessary combustion to start an engine. One of the main reasons to take extra care in this area is that spark plug gaps are a delicate balance, with proper distances coming down to a tenth of a millimeter or four thousandths of an inch. This gap, or the proper distance between the center and ground electrodes, can be found in each vehicle’s service manual. Anyone installing new spark plugs needs to be mindful of the right gap for successful ignition and optimal performance.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |