The Spark Plug Gap.

In our previous sections, we looked at the heat range of spark plug and how to determine the heat range is most appropriate for your vehicle. Now it is time to turn to the spark gap.

The spark gap with pressure of the combustion chamber and ignition has a direct influence on the amount of voltage you need the ignition system. The largest of the spark gap, the more tension you need the spark to arc through space. The same is true when the pressure of the combustion chamber is increased. The spark gap has an influence on engine performance. The largest of the spark gap, the more air/fuel mixture in contact with the spark and the easier it is to ignite the fuel/air mixture. But it’s not just a question of increasing the spark gap and the output voltage of the coil. First, there is a limit to the amount of voltage ignition system can handle, and secondly, there is a deviation from the optimum ignition performance from your engine and your driving style.

Ironically, the car manufacturer recommended distance between the electrodes is not the best! Recommended spark plug gap is designed to start sufficiently cold and steady driving a car that needs a piece of the engine. If you normally drive your car and set the engine on a regular basis, you can add a spark gap of about 0.010 “to improve performance and better fuel economy. However, if you are running at full capacity most of the time, you should shorten the distance of about 0010 “for best performance. Ultimately, you must drive a car dynameter find the best spark plug gap, and correct ignition timing for the engine.

Remember that when you increase the spark gap, you need more voltage to the ignition coil to generate a spark on the spark gap. We will discuss the ignition voltage at a later date. When a higher voltage is needed to create a spark, and polluted cold starts lighting candles has been difficult. Therefore you must make sure your secondary ignition high voltage at least 8 mm in diameter and is always clean, dry and in good condition.