You can find them with seemingly everyone’s name or logo on them. About 99 percent of the time, the tool that’s handed to you is what’s known as the “coin-style” gap tool. If you’re on the side of the road and need to swap plugs and you ask for a gap gauge, three or four grizzled grease monkeys will likely produce ones plucked from tool rolls or keychains. Note the plug gap given on this swingarm sticker. If your bike is of fairly recent vintage, you can also find this information on the emissions sticker, which is often under the seat, on the frame, or on the swingarm.
#ARE SPARK PLUGS PRE GAPPED HOW TO#
How to gap a plain copper-core spark plug with the most common tool availableįirst, you’d best know your spark plug gap by heart, or consult your manual. Check the gap, then adjust it for your application if necessary. Pretty clearly, the gap for a spark plug can’t be correct for every possible engine in which it may be used.
A spark plug may have all sorts of applications - industrial stationary motors, snowmobiles, go-karts, medium-duty trucks, and maybe a motorcycle or two. The gap may be correct, but it should be checked. Yes, you need to check the gap at bare minimum. Hey Lem, I heard I don’t have to gap plugs because they come from the factory pre-gapped So in this how-to article, I’ll show you how to gap a copper-core plug, as well as a newer precious-metal plug. This is important for gapping because it means that many modern spark plug electrodes either have a fine coating of precious metal on them, or are made of a very narrow wire, both of which can be damaged when using a traditional spark plug gap tool. But they’re also expensive! So center electrode wire diameter grew finer and finer as narrower wires were used to curtail costs. In an effort to create more durable plugs, those metals were incorporated into the electrode base material, because they are good conductors, can withstand extreme temperatures, and are hard and not very corrosive. However, precious metals began being used for spark plug construction, including platinum and iridium, generally applied as a coating to the electrodes. For a long time, center electrodes were made of copper, and plugs were gapped in a specific manner. Which brings us to a spark plug’s composition. Measuring and adjusting your plug gap is mission-critical. It also should be noted that your gap increases as the spark plug is used - the constant arcing wears away at the metal of both electrodes, opening the gap up over time. The larger the gap, the harder the ignition components need to work to get the spark to jump it. On the other hand, high cylinder pressures (caused in part by a high compression ratio) can make it difficult for the electricity to bridge a larger spark plug gap. On one hand, a large gap allows for a big, fat spark with which to ignite the air and fuel mixture. Utilize gap-closing tools when gaps are too large Utilize feeler gauges to measure gaps most accurately
Understand how the gap affects engine performanceĬheck the gap on all spark plugs, even ones that claim to be pre-gapped It’s an air gap, and one that needs to be set very precisely in order for your engine to function correctly. It’s the gap between the center electrode and the ground electrode.
#ARE SPARK PLUGS PRE GAPPED PROFESSIONAL#
For higher horsepower builds discuss the proper gap with your professional tuner.One of the most important parts of your spark plugs isn’t even part of the plug.
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