"Future Heap Owner" (aperiodic)
05/19/2018 at 18:05 • Filed to: Spark
2
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"Future Heap Owner" (aperiodic)
05/19/2018 at 18:05 • Filed to: Spark | 2
| 5 |
Can re-gapping spark plugs cause a noticeable change in engine dynamics?
I re-gapped the spark plugs on my car, and I took it for a short test drive to make sure I hadn’t screwed anything up too bad. Far from screwing things up, it seemed like I had made the engine much more responsive. It seems to rev more promptly when I hit the pedal, and I was able to get it to 5k easily (which I normally can’t). Also the OBD-II scanner told me that the fuel rate when I’m coasting along with no pedal input was slightly higher than I remember it being (0.23-0.25 gal/hr vs 0.20-0.22).
Could correcting the gaps make the firing better enough that the engine zippier and uses a bit more fuel for each combustion? Or am I making this all up?
I am gonna try a single-blind experiment by not telling the missus and seeing if she says anything.
Crazy Fiat for your time
pip bip - choose Corrour
> Future Heap Owner
05/20/2018 at 03:36 |
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just install new ones and be done
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Future Heap Owner
> pip bip - choose Corrour
05/20/2018 at 13:06 |
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No reason to, these should still have a good amount of life left
Mercedes Streeter
> Future Heap Owner
05/21/2018 at 00:34 |
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Late to this party, but I’d say yes! Depending on how out of spec the gaps were previously, you could even get misfires. I wouldn’t say you could improve performance, but rather you’d restore any performance that was lost when the gaps went out of spec.
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Future Heap Owner
> Mercedes Streeter
05/21/2018 at 01:10 |
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Right, improve it to what I’ve known, not over what it had originally (it’s a 10-year-old car I bought after it had been sitting for 18-24 months).
The gaps were all smaller than they should have been, but I didn’t measure how much they were. If I had to guess I’d say around 0.005" too small (they should have been 0.043").
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Mercedes Streeter
> Future Heap Owner
05/21/2018 at 01:15 |
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Ah, I see. You can sort of improve performance with spark plugs by getting plugs in a hotter or colder heat range than factory. You won’t get anything you can measure on a dyno, but you may get a MPG or two or a smoother running engine.