Gapping Autolite plugs

cjman15

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Apr 15, 2004

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Fairfield, PA

Jul 24, 2004

#1

• Jul 24, 2004

• #1

I'm gonna be puting some new plugs in my car soon and I was wondering what you would recommend for gapping these plugs. They are Autolite Platinums and my engine is completely stock... I've heard from .45 to .50 gapping... what do you think

 

MadMatt5oh

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Jan 10, 2003

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Jul 24, 2004

#2

• Jul 24, 2004

• #2

I was told to gap my stock 302 at 56

 

drgn5.0

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#3

• Jul 24, 2004

• #3

I wouldn't run platinum plugs in your car, go with regular copper autolites. at .045

 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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Feb 18, 2001

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Jul 24, 2004

#4

• Jul 24, 2004

• #4

cjman15 said:

I'm gonna be puting some new plugs in my car soon and I was wondering what you would recommend for gapping these plugs. They are Autolite Platinums and my engine is completely stock... I've heard from .45 to .50 gapping... what do you think

Click to expand...

Return them and get Autolite 25's. They are copper plugs and what you should be using on your Mustang. Platnium plugs have no performance benfit at all despite what everyone things.

Stock gap is 0.052" - 0.056"

 

Silver Talon

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Jul 16, 2004

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Jul 24, 2004

#5

• Jul 24, 2004

• #5

My 82 gt said stock gap is 42-46, and it really wants it in thouse ranges. I had one at 50 and it ran rich for a while. I replaced the set and put them all at 44, and I never had a prob. Before in my vick i never even gaped them and never had a prob. The stang seems to be very touchy.

 

HISSIN50

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#6

• Jul 24, 2004

• #6

TFI ignition should be .052 -.056, as said.
i dont know what duraspark, etc ignition use. gap it too wide and you overwhelm the coil's capacity.

 

cjman15

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Jul 25, 2004

#7

• Jul 25, 2004

• #7

why are tha copper plugs so much better than platinum

 

HISSIN50

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Jul 25, 2004

#8

• Jul 25, 2004

• #8

cjman15 said:

why are tha copper plugs so much better than platinum

Click to expand...

copper plugs (annealed) conduct way way better than platinum. plats are nice for cars that have inaccessable plugs - plats dont experience gap erosion cuz they are hard (and dont conduct very well). think of tires: do you want really hard rubber that does not hold the road (but lasts forever) or some nice grippy skins that hold like on rails, but wear out sooner. i choose the latter.

also, ive had plats break long before they would have worn out (i know Mike has too). how long does one really leave plugs in there?

on 4th gen+ camaros, plats are nice cuz it takes two days to swap plugs.

also, some 5.0's have experienced a lowered idle and higher RPM miss (~4K rpm) when running plats.

iridium is kinda the best of both worlds, but is really pricey (nice for nitrous and/or forced induction).

 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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Jul 25, 2004

#9

• Jul 25, 2004

• #9

Platnium = Crapinium.



I've had a few Autozone/Pep Boys employees refuse to sell me copper plugs for my car stating "For high performance cars you shouldn't be running anything less than plats. I'd recommend these Bosch +4's"

 

cjman15

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Jul 25, 2004

#10

• Jul 25, 2004

• #10

Are autolite copper 2545s ok? u told me to get 25s but my dad picked up 2545s this morning... they gonna work ok? gapping at 52

 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell

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Feb 18, 2001

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Jul 25, 2004

#11

• Jul 25, 2004

• #11

No it's not the same plug.

Autolite 25's gapped at 0.054"

 

HISSIN50

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#12

• Jul 25, 2004

• #12

hey, ill also add that for those who end up using a plat plug at some point: you cant gap a plat plug - or be very very careful doing it. using a conventional gapper will scrape the coating off. funny, since every plat plug ive ever bought was the wrong gap.

 

F

fiveohh94gt

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#13

• Jul 25, 2004

• #13

hey now, i work at autozone and i would never recommend platnum plugs for a 5.0, maybe thats just cause i know better

 

maverick0716

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Jul 25, 2004

#14

• Jul 25, 2004

• #14

I have Autolite 25's in my car and I didn't even gap them.....runs fine. My car calls for 0.042"-0.046" gap

 

Ray III

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fixin Boomhower's John Deere in Troy, NY

Jul 25, 2004

#15

• Jul 25, 2004

• #15

I like the cheap plugs because you can modify them, put them in and beat on em, and change em frequently so you always have good plugs in the car.

Platinum plugs are more of a maintenance-free deal, you can't screw with em but they don't wear out too fast either. Also Bosch's 2 or 4 ground open design makes for cleaner combustion and improved gas mileage, at least in certain engines

 

HISSIN50

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#16

• Jul 25, 2004

• #16

Ray III said:

Also Bosch's 2 or 4 ground open design makes for cleaner combustion and improved gas mileage, at least in certain engines

Click to expand...

please elaborate. IIRC from high school physics, electricity takes the path of least resistance. one ground strap should do it.