Setting a Spark Plug Gap

One of the most basic tasks of tuning up a vehicle is to change or replace spark plugs. This might sound like an extremely simple task that anyone can do (which it is by the way), by simply removing the old spark plug and replacing it with a new one. While this might be the absolute basic explanation of the whole procedure, it is the absolute bare minimum explanation of what a person needs to do. Setting a spark plug gap is one of those simple, basic and vital tasks that a person absolutely needs to do when performing the maintenance on their own vehicles.

Materials needed:

• Car repair manual
• Spark plug gapping tool
• Complete ratchet and socket set

Procedure:

1. Remove. In order to properly gap the new spark plugs, you are going to have to remove the old one. Only remove one sparkplug at a time though. This helps to reduce the possibility of confusion and mistiming the firing sequence of the spark plugs.
2. Check. When you have the sparkplug removed, you are ready to begin the next step. The next thing that you are going to have to do is to check the gap on the new sparkplug. Do this by first checking in the proper car repair manual, or possibly under the car's hood. Many manufacturers have this information stored on a sticker that they place on the inside of a hood. Another way that you can check this is to use the gapping tool to check your old sparkplug's gap. There is only one problem with this though, and that is the dependency upon the accurate gapping of the old sparkplug. Either way, you are going to need to know the proper gap measurement.
3. Gap. Once you know the proper "gap" you are ready to begin. Insert the gap tool into the little space by the "hook," which is actually an electrode. Bend this out till it reaches the correct measurement. If the space (or gap) is too large, simply push the hook against a hard surface to close up some of the excess space.
4. Check. Once you believe that you have reached the proper gap between the hook and the tip, check it. Do this using the gapping tool and the measurements that were given to you in the car repair manual, or the information sticker that was located under the hood of the car.
5. Repeat/Install. After you have reached the proper gap measurement, go ahead and install the plug according to the instructions on the car repair manual (typically this is going to be just the reverse of how your removed the plug). Repeat this process as often as necessary for each of your vehicle's sparkplugs.