We have had discussions pertaining to the heat range of a spark plug at various places in this website. There have also been discussions meant for describing the best possible heat range selection for each type of car engines. The spark plug gap is the next thing that we need to put our concentration and energies too and therefore this article is dedicated towards elaboration of the same.
The spark plug gap and the pressure within the combustion chamber together combined with the timing of ignition are directly correlated with the proportion of voltage requirements of the system of ignition. The larger the gap of the spark plug, the greater is the voltage requirement of the spark plug. This is what the arc of the spark depends on. Even when the pressure within the combustion chamber is increased, the requirements and specifications mentioned above remain and hold true. This gap also impacts the performance and efficiency of the engine somehow.
It is a fact that the greater the gap within the spark plug, the better connectivity is built between the air-fuel mixture and the spark produced and hence we see superior engine performance through the easiness installed within the ignition process.
But it is not all about increasing the spark plug gap or for that matter, the throughput of the voltage of the coil. One also has to know that there is a certain limit to which the ignition system can bear the voltage limits. Another thing important to know is that there is something called the optimum spark plug gap because only increasing the gap doesn’t ensure superior engine performance; there is a limit to such increase which also depends on the car engine type and vehicle driving requirements.
It is a great irony that most of the times, the car manufacturers cash in on the spark plugs and do not install the best one meant for the car. The best spark plug is the one that is designed for a cold start of the engine and a gradual and smooth drive. It is to be noted that an increase in the gap of the spark plug initiates desired of more voltage by the ignition coil for spark generation across the gap. One should therefore be extremely cautious and careful in handling the spark plug gaps and ignition systems.
