Spark Plug Gapping Question

[Joe Dirt]

Best advice I've gotten: "If you have one of those variable thickness round gappers you may wear off the thin layer of platinum from the tip. You can and should gap platinum plugs, just do not apply pressure to the firing tip of the plug when adjusting the gap out."

I run Motorcraft DP's, and change them at max 50k. A spark plug is weaker each and every spark after the very first one. I haven't run Coppers, but mainly because I just wanted what was in there OEM because they just work so well..

 

[Sixonemale]

Spark Plug Gap Update

I just bought Motorcraft spark plugs and also measured them at .045 and thought they should have a gap of .054. I called the vendor I bought them from, Motorcraft and a parts store, and they all said they are pre-gapped platinum spark plugs and not to try and re-gap them. They said re-gaping a platinum spark plug can damage the platinum coating, hence the reason they are sold pre-gapped. I'm still not sure why they don't measure out correctly, but I did not re-gap them and they work great.

I drove with the pre-gapped (.045) Motorcraft spark plugs for about 1,000 miles and realized my gas mileage was very poor and the transmission was shifting just a bit early. I took the plugs out today re-gapped them to 0.054 and the Explorer runs MUCH better and I can already tell the gas mileage is back to normal.

Bottom-line, do not trust the gap on pre-gapped Motorcraft platinum spark plugs!