Spark Plug Feeler gauge

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen) 02/04/2014 at 10:53 • Filed to: None

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Which would you guys recommend? I am in the process of getting new plugs in anticipation of my tune for the SHO, I need to gap them to .030. It really looks like the first result on this page should do the trick for me:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss…

I've read up on it quite a bit, but certainly welcome any tips, I've never gapped plugs before.

Nibbles > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 10:56

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Your linky no worky, but I'm a fan of the blade-style gauge set, seen here .

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nibbles 02/04/2014 at 10:58

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Ah right on, that's pretty much the same as what I was looking at getting:

http://www.amazon.com/K-D-Tools-164-…

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puddler > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 10:58

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the link goes to car-charger usb plugs. lol.

i've got the blades and the coin thing. either or, mine both measure the same..

thebigbossyboss > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:00

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I used a circular gauge. It worked pretty good.

philipilihp > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:00

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Hey since we're talking about tools and the like, and I don't mean to highjack your post but also didn't want to start a seperate one, what's a good place to start in terms of torque wrenches? There are so many out there with varying torque spectra, so what is a good "starter" one, so to speak, to use on things like tranny drain plugs, sparkplugs, wheel nuts, and the like.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > puddler 02/04/2014 at 11:00

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yeah, stupid Amazon... Anyways I'm thinking this one:

http://www.amazon.com/K-D-Tools-164-…

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deekster_caddy > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:01

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How often do you gap plugs? Full time mechanic? Get a set of blades. Once a year for your tune-up? Get the 'coin' style with the increasing thickness rim. Those will get chewed up over time (don't adjust the gap with the edge, even though it's really tempting), but they are cheap to replace if that happens.

puddler > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:02

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very nice. i use the blades to set valve lash on my nova...doubt there are many new cars with solid lifters, but there's no such thing as too many tools.

Nibbles > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:03

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I believe that's the same tool, KDS164 lol.

Anyhow, they are much better than the disc style. Not only do they work with spark plugs, but also lifters/rockers and pretty much anything else that requires clearances. When gapping, remember to tap the electrode gingerly. You don't want the gauge to get stuck in there, just be able to slip in and out easily with minimal rub. If you over-tap, it can be bent back out.

Also most plugs that you purchase are pre-gapped, and these days they're pretty damn close if not spot on.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nibbles 02/04/2014 at 11:09

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Yeah, I just hear that with the 3.5EB engine the engine idles noticeably smoother and runs smoother if you ensure the plugs are gapped correctly. I've heard especially the stock plug can vary quite a bit gap-wise.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > deekster_caddy 02/04/2014 at 11:11

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Is this a suggestion based on cost? Most people seem to recommend the blade style. I am not a mechanic, but $5 for this doesn't seem like the end of the world, haha:

http://www.amazon.com/K-D-Tools-164-…

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Nibbles > philipilihp 02/04/2014 at 11:13

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If you're considering a torque wrench, don't cheap out. A good, certified wrench will last you years, easily overcoming the initial price. I'm a fan of Snap-On, my old wrench is still torqueing away after years of use.

Nibbles > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:15

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Definitely. I, for one, always check my gaps before installing. I've had maybe one or two out of spec from the box in the past couple years (probably in the area of 50+ spark plugs)

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nibbles 02/04/2014 at 11:16

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That's only 3 spark plug jobs if you were to own a Veyron. Assuming they have 1 spark plug per cylinder, haha.

505Turbeaux > deekster_caddy 02/04/2014 at 11:19

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lol yeah that is what the hole is for on those. Took me forever to figure that out

puddler > philipilihp 02/04/2014 at 11:22

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http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/c…

deekster_caddy > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:23

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Yeah for $5 might as well get that. Better tool in the long run, no question.

I didn't realize those had become so cheap!

deekster_caddy > philipilihp 02/04/2014 at 11:26

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If you are going to do drain plugs and spark plugs, get a 3/8 drive in-lb wrench. Wheel nuts require about 100 lb ft. Drain plugs require about 10 (or less). Don't use a 1/2 in drive 140 lb ft torque wrench on a drain plug! They are not accurate at that low of a setting.

I like Craftsman because they are accessible to me. I have easy access to Sears with good tool departments. I don't have easy access to Snap-On. Their wrenches are better if you use them every day, but a lot more expensive. The craftsman torque wrenches have done very good for me over the years, but I'm not a full time mechanic either.

philipilihp > Nibbles 02/04/2014 at 11:28

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Agreed, that is what most people say. My concern is more for which torque range to get as opposed to price-quality, since I don't know much about them.

Nibbles > philipilihp 02/04/2014 at 11:41

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My wrench goes to 120 ft-lbs and does, well, most of what I need. Don't limit yourself to small ranges unless you need that little. Ideally, I guess, you could get a 1/4'' drive for in-lb applications and a 1/2'' for everything else. For your big wrench, don't go under 100 ft-lbs

philipilihp > Nibbles 02/04/2014 at 11:47

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So this would suffice for most things, right?

Z_Stig > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 11:47

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Don't most plugs come pre-gapped these days?

Nibbles > philipilihp 02/04/2014 at 12:01

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Just about. The measurements are good, but that's an example of the previous "don't cheap out" statement. Those plastic handles are wonky and tend to fail quickly, leaving you with "best guess" measurements. Save up a bit more cash and get something like this one . Find one, at least, with metal construction.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Z_Stig 02/04/2014 at 12:01

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They do, but they have a tendency to vary wildly and I hear my engine really benefits from proper gapping. It affects how smooth it'll run and I've actually heard claims of bad gapping affecting fuel mileage.

desertdog5051 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 12:16

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On new plugs either wire or blade type works. If you check gap on used plugs, use wire type. Ideally you want to use a go/no go. In other words, if gap is supposed to be .030, a .029 should go and a .031 should not. That's how we learned to do points/plugs on old cars.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > desertdog5051 02/04/2014 at 12:33

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Ah ok, I'll be getting new plugs, I ended up with blade type for just under $6. Plugs are about $4 each, Motorcraft SP534's.

Zoom > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 12:35

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In a pinch, this is about .030.....

(the stick part)

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Zoom 02/04/2014 at 12:56

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Haha, good thing I am not in a pinch :P

Z_Stig > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 13:02

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Yea, I hear you on that. I used to check the gap on plugs I've bought for my cars, but I've never had one that was wrong, so I stopped doing it.

Zoom > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 13:14

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I've built a few hot 2 stroke motors.

And plug color and gap is everything when keeping them alive.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Zoom 02/04/2014 at 13:15

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As have I, I used to race stand-up jetski's and have done quite a bit of wrenching and motor-rebuilding on them. We never did check gap on new spark plugs, I'd be curious to do so now, haha. And I know what you mean by the color, if your motor isn't dialed in right those plugs come out nasty!

Zoom > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 13:44

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Sweet!

I still have an '87 550 piston port (no reeds) motor with Butch's port work. After a couple oversizes, you lose your jugs, and therefore, your port work. Mine is still intact. At 215 psi compression, aluminum flywheel, and dual 38 mod mikunis. The little bitch flys.

And a 951 Sea Doo with modded 48's and cleaned up boost ports. Reeds. Runs pretty close to 70 mph.

Much fun. So power.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Zoom 02/04/2014 at 14:11

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I dont think I've ever ridden a heavily modded 550, I have ridden my share of near stock ones. I've ridden 750 sxi and sxi-pro's extensively. I started my racing on a 750 SXI and later raced a variety of 800 SXR's. The racing community was awesome, I would most of the time show up without a Ski, make friends with someone at the bar on Friday night and be racing their Ski in whatever class they weren't in the next Saturday and Sunday.

I've only ever once ridden a sit-down, a storm blew in almost immediately, so that wasn't a good sign, haha. That 951 does sound awesome and I've known people to swap them into stand-ups.

Zoom > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 14:22

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That 951 is a monster power/weight. I live in Michigan so you need a couch to tour and carry the beer. I ride Superior and Pictured Rocks area quite a bit.

I started riding the little boats when my brother bought one back in '78 when they first came out. I like that style simply because they are very tossable. 750s and 800 hulls seem heavy to me, but I've never ridden one with tons of power.

Sea Doo tried a stand up with the 951 and it was a pig. I wonder what it would do with a decent hull.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Zoom 02/04/2014 at 14:31

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one of my friends has swapped a 951 into an 800sxr as well as an 1100 tripple! That thing was INSANELY fast, riding that thing is roughly the same as being a passenger on the exterior of a space shuttle. It CHUGS racefuel, haha.

I am in Michigan as well. The 750's and 800's are a bit heavier, but for racing the weight of the 800 is not a huge problem, it rides very well for that purpose. Freestyle I see most people go for custom hulls (like richter or mallone) or for modified superjets.

I mostly ride lake michigan, Grand Haven, South Haven, Port Sheldon. Or the inland lakes in the Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo area.

Zoom > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 02/04/2014 at 14:48

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Ha. I live in GR.

I usually ride Big Pine Island, Green Lake, Gun once in a while. Or anywhere I can on the coast. Port Sheldon is the easiest no wake.

And I can see where a heavy hull can be a better race boat/ rough water. Keeps the pump in the water.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Zoom 02/04/2014 at 14:55

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Oh nice. I can't wait for summer haha! I am ready for boats and jetski's to come out.

Yes races have very rough water, unless you are in first place, haha.