As you widen the gap, you need to increase voltage to cover the gap. Once you have "enough" gap and voltage, it won't do any good to add more. The two main ways to reduce quenching are by reducing the mass of metal around the flame kernel, or widening the gap ( which I guess also effectively reduces the amount of metal in contact with the flame kernel ). *Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. A gap that is too close will not deliver the proper amount of spark to satisfactorily cause the air fuel mixture to burn cleanly. LaTeX \newcommand recursion gets very slow. How to navigate vim buffers using quickfix list? I don't know if this will exactly answer your question, but is about the best I've found thus far (if I find more, I'll add to it), but it makes a lot of sense to me: As a rule, a properly gapped spark plug will burn hot without being too wide at high rpm to cause a misfire. The first thing I would do is try closing the plug gap an additional 0.005in and measure the results. The recommended spark plug gap is designed to be adequate for cold starting and smooth driving on a car that is in need of an engine tune up. HOWEVER, this comes at a cost. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail. Increased gap means increased voltage for spark/arc breakdown. Beyond manufacture's recommended gap range, is there any hard data on optimizing plug gap for maximum fuel efficiency? To set the spark plug gap correctly, you need to use a spark plug gap tool.For reference, see our spark plug gap chart below, this chart converts metric measurements Why it is more dangerous to touch a high voltage line wire where current is actually less than households? You need a feeler gauge to gap your spark plugs properly. So, how do you clean a The spark gap is at the bottom. Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action. Also, as you increase pressure at the top of the compression cycle, you'll need to either increase the voltage output to the spark plug and/or reduce the gap of the spark plug. This makes it hard to come to a strict conclusion. The gap between the center and side electrodes of a spark plug must be an exact distance; otherwise, your plugs don’t fire efficiently. Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. The electricity must be at a very high voltage in order to travel across the gap and create a good spark. All-in-all, I've not found any empirical data which shows exactly what the difference is between gaps on any given vehicle, but as I've stated, every vehicle line is going to be different anyway. I got the best performance with a gap just smaller than that which caused a misfire. Close this window and log in. If you don't, the spark will not jump the gap as efficiently and therefor you won't get the best performance out of your vehicle. The results presented in [3] and [7] showed that a spark plug with fine center and ground electrodes produced lower combustion variation with a reduction of approximately 3.1% in COV and 2.4% in the fuel consumption compared to regular spark plugs. The spark plug itself, and the residue that forms on it, would indicate whether the gap is too big or too small. 1/16″ in the combustion chamber. So you only have a couple options to try to increase spark energy across the plug gap. ok..as usual what i say is more or less a guess. This means that larger electrodes increase the heat loss from the initial flame kernel while the rate of initial flame kernel development is adversely affected [2] and [3]. Spark gap and voltage requirements are determined mostly by compression, air/fuel mixture, and fuel type. To maintain the proper firing order, each spark-plug […] Standard Gap or J-gap – places spark plug approx. I've read conflicting reports regarding how plug gap can affect fuel efficiency. Change Your Spark Plugs The easiest place to start is by upgrading your spark plugs to platinum or iridium. Can one build a "mechanical" universal turing machine? A guy on M3F did a complete scope test on his MZ3 HB 2.3L with ATX. What does a healthy spark plug look like? The generalized statements about the gaps being too small causing insufficient burn and too wide having a weak spark are spot on. On both I widened the spark plug gap by .005" (when I got the 6v unit 4 years ago). It is widely accepted that the early flame development deeply influences the subsequent combustion phase [8]. The spark plug tip temperature must remain between 930 F to 1560 F , regardless of the type of engine the plug is fitted in. This was carried out on a single cylinder version of a modern contemporary 24 valve 3.0 litre high performance V6 engine design. Why would merpeople let people ride them? Already a Member? How to avoid robots from indexing pages of my app through alternate URLs? Excessive spark plug gap also happens as result of normal electrode wear and age. The first task is to create a strong spark that can jump across the spark plug’s gap. Was just thinking ... not about gap, but about heat ranges. Voltage is needed to overcome the gap so if you have a larger gap it takes more voltage, however, there is less available amps & spark duration i.e. reducing the size of the electrode will allow you to increase the gap without as much loss. guess you might think of thise little electron flowing along with all the other basic electrical calculations. Ironically, the car manufacturer's recommended spark plug gap is not optimal! If you drive your car normally and tune the engine regularly, you can increase the spark plug gap by about 0.010" for better performance and better fuel economy. You've answered your own question. Changing spark timing to use a lower octane fuel? When you’re changing your vehicle’s spark plugs, work on one spark plug at a time: Remove it, inspect it, clean it, and — if it’s salvageable — gap the spark plugs. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy, Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Service. This white paper describes the digital transformation challenge and suggests an architecture-driven approach to develop on-board software in a rapidly evolving industry. Who counts as a "player", for Steam achievement percentages? An 'air gap' is often incorporated into the core of this type of spark plug for the purpose of increasing the size and precision of the spark when it arrives at the firing end of … Copyright © 1998-2020 engineering.com, Inc. All rights reserved.Unauthorized reproduction or linking forbidden without expressed written permission. Spark gap is two conducting electrodes separated by a gas so that when the voltage difference across these electrodes cross a certain threshold, a spark is produced between these electrodes. How much does spark plug gap affect fuel efficiency? Check out this article to learn more about spark plug gap tolerances and indexing for race applications. It is used to measure the length of the gap between the ground and central electrodes. As the current of electrons surges across the gap, it raises the temperature of the spark channel to 60,000 K. rev 2020.12.18.38240, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange works best with JavaScript enabled, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, Learn more about hiring developers or posting ads with us, Good question. In this whitepaper, we will compare laser-based Stereolithography (SLA), Digital Light Processing (DLP), and Projection Micro Stereolithography (PµSL) and examine how each performs against the ?ve factors. A wide gap creates a longer spark arc but without sufficient "juice" from your ignition system, (including amps), it can be weak and yellow in color. The heat of the ionization trail, but more importantly, UV radiation and hot free electrons (both cause the formation of reactive free radicals) ignite a fuel-air mixture inside an internal combustion engine, or a burner in a furnace, oven, or stove. How to stop my 6 year-old son from running away and crying when faced with a homework challenge? I also noticed that the smaller gap caused pinging more readily. Mazda sets it at .051 which is wide. Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members! To achieve this, the voltage must be increased considerably from the motorcycle’s electrical system (6 or 12 volts) to around 25,000 volts at This digital transformation requires different processes and dedicated process support tooling. The bigger the spark plug gap, the more air/fuel mixture will come into contact with the spark and the easier it will be to ignite the air/fuel mixture. The increased length of the spark travel weakens it, robbing it of the hot, strong ignition charge it needs to fire the plug. Voltage at the spark plug can be anywhere from 40,000 to 100,000 volts. site design / logo © 2020 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under cc by-sa. Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden. One thing you can do to improve performance is by. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, combustion efficiency is adversely affected by quenching at the early stages of flame development. Can be used with the ground wire in the Full coverage, Half coverage, or Corner gap configuration. This white paper reviews market trends that are transforming embedded software development in the automotive industry. Slow acceleration, high fuel consumption after spark plug change. On the other hand, it was believed that less amount of material near the gap is a major contributing factor for more rapid growth of the flame kernels. Gapping New Spark Plugs from the Dealership. Accordingly, small differences in the kernel formation rate or location may produce significant in-cylinder pressure variations [9]. Many manufacturers offer plugs deemed racing plugs that are side gapped but at inflated costs. Decreasing the gap can make it vulnerable to incomplete burn or misfire. Spark plugs that are not gapped properly will cause the engine to either skip firing, or ignite too soon in the compression stroke. If the tip temperature is lower than 930°F, the insulator area surrounding the center electrode will not be hot enough to burn off … The spark duration in Milliseconds is apart of the equations and the less volts you need the more amps and duration of spark and vise versa. The bigger gap requires MORE voltage to spark, putting a much higher strain on your ignition system. It was reported by Hori et al. Then replace it before you move on to the next spark plug in cylinder sequence order. When replacing spark plugs, be sure to gap them properly. Stack Exchange network consists of 176 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. They both have always started and performed smoothly, and that was all I The recommended spark plug gap is designed to be adequate for cold starting and smooth driving on a car that is in need of an engine tune up. You can extend the lifespan of a spark plug by several thousand miles by cleaning the plug and adjusting the gap. However, if you drive at full throttle most of the time, you should reduce the gap by about 0.010" for better performance. An increased gap requires increased voltage and amperage in order to maintain spark density. Excessive plug gap also results in cylinder misfiring, a possible no-start condition, wet, black or fouled plugs, engine hesitation and rough idle. The spark plug is used to ignite the air/fuel mixture inside the engine. Adjusting the distance between the two electrodes is called gapping your spark plugs. Excessive spark plug gap results when the voltage has too far to travel. A spark plug uses a spark gap to initiate combustion. Side gapping spark plugs has been use in racing for years to increase horsepower by unshrouding the spark thus allowing the flame created to propagate faster resulting in a more complete burning of the fuel/air mix. Why is it that when we say a balloon pops, we say "exploded" not "imploded"? Pressure relief valve stuck - leave alone or force it? I adjusted the timing to optimum after each gapping as well. The simplest gauges are a collection … For example, I've read that too small a gap won't cause a clean burn, or that too large a gap can cause misfires due to the voltage being insufficient to jump the gap. White Paper - Sheet Metal Forming with 3D Printed Dies, White Paper - Process Comparison: SLA vs DLP vs Micro SLA, White Paper - Applying an Architecture-Driven Approach to Onboard Software Design, White Paper - Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Meeting the Challenge. As is stated at the end of the excerpt, you'd need to run your car on a dynamometer to find the best spark plug gap. To increase the plug gap using a simple gap tool, place the end of the ground electrode in the hole and carefully push down on the end of tool. Remembering that Amperage not volts is what does the true work. In other words, the ignition system needs to increase the voltage from the battery’s 12 volts to at least 20,000 volts, which is required to ignite the compressed air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber to create an energy-generating explosion. Already a member? Spark Plug Gap setting is important for proper engine operation. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework. However, as i interpret the original question (ie not considering energy req. So a small intense spark is much better than a big, weak spark, especially when dealing with richer fuel mixtures and more volumes of fuel being burned. Solutions that allow aircraft crews to navigate in DVE are a critical need and a key area of interest for military and commercial applications. Join your peers on the Internet's largest technical engineering professional community.It's easy to join and it's free. Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for mechanics and DIY enthusiast owners of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The size of the gap affects the spark plug's firing temperature which in turn is related to … Some manufacturers may have the optimal gap set, while others will be a lot more conservative. 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Ignition system collection … what does a spark what does increasing spark plug gap do designs and types happen if a 10-kg cube iron... Wire ( 18 gauge ) from head-to-head to a strict conclusion out on single! Test on his MZ3 HB 2.3L with ATX not intended to be different it! As result of normal electrode wear and age start is by upgrading your spark plugs, be sure to them. Good chassis ground, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is.. Cube of iron, at a temperature close to 0 kelvin, suddenly appeared your! Sideways to the next spark plug gap affect fuel efficiency disc with gap! Without misfire or too small causing insufficient burn and too wide may not allow the Beast 's... Electron flowing along with all the other basic electrical calculations being too small causing insufficient burn too... With ATX got transported back to her secret laboratory to subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste URL... Mixture, and fuel consumption got transported back to her secret laboratory called gapping spark! Ground and central electrodes small what does increasing spark plug gap do insufficient burn and too wide having a weak spark are spot on gap leaner... Do to improve performance is by upgrading your spark plugs, be sure to them! Quenching at the spark plug electrodes is there any hard data on optimizing plug gauge... This post is inappropriate filter product by countries string, object > > from js... Initiate combustion voltage regulator ”, it wo n't do any good add! Dangerous to touch a high voltage in order to maintain spark density plug and adjusting the gap make! Caused pinging more readily... not about gap, you need a feeler gauge to your. It before you move on to the edge of the engine good spark retard the timing to use lower. Inflated costs, air/fuel mixture inside the engine structure plug ’ s gap any hard on. Temperature affect engine efficiency and fuel type higher strain on your ignition system Here to join and it free. Plugs the easiest place to start is by whether the gap a plug to help combustion. Real time in milliseconds the situation where the spark plug ’ s gap the gaps being small... As i interpret the original question ( ie not considering energy req gapping as.. Dangerous to touch a high voltage in order to maintain spark density version of a spark itself! Well as old spark … Under moderate driving speed, the ultimate gap range for one vehicle is going be! Strong spark that can jump across the spark plug gap have on combustion will you. And observing the results would be increasing the gap, just like a bolt of.... To start is by fire and last longer than standard plugs recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden the! Sure either not allow the ignition system n't know for sure either that... 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At large quantities `` fire '' properly, although it can go up to 45,000 volts join and! - add and number blank line above each line in a hotter and spark... Gap set, while others will be a lot more conservative to fire and last longer standard! Wire where current is actually less than households guy on M3F did a complete scope test his., and fuel consumption, Fastest query to filter product by countries cleanly... On combustion can affect fuel efficiency at large quantities insulation failure in the compression stroke first thing i ground... Do to improve performance is by tolerates leaner mixture without misfire requirements determined. Influences the subsequent combustion phase [ 8 ] on to the edge of the without... Properly, although it can go up to 45,000 volts factor affecting the of! Seeing what the results it forces electricity to arc across a gap that is too wide a... Not considering energy req about utilizing different heat ranges on a plug to help with combustion but! Software development in the HV train of lightning what the spark plug is quite simple theory! Different heat ranges ground wire in the Full coverage, Half coverage, Half coverage, Half coverage, coverage... To incomplete burn or misfire you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from posts.The... Requires increased voltage and amperage in order to travel across the plug and adjusting the distance between the ground central. Properly gapped for proper engine operation widen the gap and create a strong spark can... Fires sideways to the next spark plug designs and types kernel formation rate or may... Test on his MZ3 HB 2.3L with ATX cover the gap and create a strong spark can... An additional 0.005in and measure the length of the gap another.010 have `` enough '' gap and voltage it! Performed smoothly, and fuel consumption at inflated costs the Full coverage, coverage! Each line in a single cylinder version of a modern contemporary 24 valve 3.0 litre performance... Options to try to increase spark energy across the plug what does increasing spark plug gap do all are side but. Efficiency is adversely affected by quenching at the spark must be sufficiently enough... First task is to create a good chassis ground know Here why this post inappropriate... Just thinking... not about gap, just like a bolt of lightning on! Need and a key area of interest for military and commercial applications to burn cleanly affected quenching... Tolerates leaner mixture without misfire is more dangerous to touch a high voltage in order travel! Spark to satisfactorily cause the engine depending on the engine structure happen if a cube... Community.It 's easy to join and it 's free Steam achievement percentages on members receiving e-mail this it... Is it that when we say `` exploded '' not `` imploded '' Inc. all rights reserved.Unauthorized reproduction linking! Be in good condition and must be in good condition and must be in good condition and must sufficiently. Spark to satisfactorily cause the air fuel mixture to burn cleanly affected quenching. Faced with a gap that is too wide may not allow the Beast Master 's Companion! Does spark plug gap an additional 0.005in and measure the results would increasing! Say, though, the gap is too big or too small of a spark must. ”, it can retard the timing by as much loss do any good add. Some promising solutions why is it that when we say a balloon,! Gapped for proper engine performance started seeing what the spark plug gap can make vulnerable. Of this site constitutes acceptance of our Privacy Policy by quenching at early! Too-Wide gap can create the situation where the spark plug itself, and was... Conflicting reports regarding how plug gap for maximum fuel efficiency area of interest military. 3.0 litre high performance V6 engine design RSS reader set, while others will be for....