Question about gapping / plugs
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TECH Junkie
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From: Highland, Indiana
Question about gapping / plugs Ok, this is not for an LS1, I'm working on my brothers car an 88 Olds Cutlass Ciera.
Me being the dumbass I am forgot to gap the plugs and after about 2 1/2 hrs trying to get them all in I realized it
. The gap is about .038 and should be .045 think it will be ok if I just leave them gapped this way?
Also I think I may have not gotten one of the back plugs tight enough because there is like a loud puffing sound when the motor is on and clicks for a few seconds when we turn the car off. Think thats it or could it be something else?
What does it act like when a plug is cracked?
I know stupid questions but thanks!
Me being the dumbass I am forgot to gap the plugs and after about 2 1/2 hrs trying to get them all in I realized it
. The gap is about .038 and should be .045 think it will be ok if I just leave them gapped this way?Also I think I may have not gotten one of the back plugs tight enough because there is like a loud puffing sound when the motor is on and clicks for a few seconds when we turn the car off. Think thats it or could it be something else?
What does it act like when a plug is cracked?
I know stupid questions but thanks!
Thread Starter
TECH Junkie
iTrader: (6)
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,185
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From: Highland, Indiana
The puffing sound sounds like an exhaust leak I think and it backfires at higher RPMs another sign of an exhaust leak.... but I can't seem to find it, would a plug being cross threaded or not tight enough cause similar symptoms?
This car is really starting to frustrate me
This car is really starting to frustrate me
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,407
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From: Knappa, Oregon
Did you move/remove a AIR or EGR hose while changing the plugs? I ask because we usually move the AIR tube when changing the plugs on an LS1 and if you don't put a new gasket on it you can get a sound like that. And backfire, are you sure the plug wires went on the right plugs? Did you put on new wires at the same time? Sometimes what you think is a plug is really a bad wire. If you used the old wires take them off one at a time to look at them. Just some things to look at. As stated above, the plug gap should be fine out of the box.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2005
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From: Philadelphia
*cough*
Maybe for higher quality plugs they'll be set to the right gap, but OEM replacements need to bew gapped, or so I have learned recently.
I have an odd knock in the family car, a Toyota Corolla, 4banger all the way and the plugs I got to replace it were at about .05 or more. I needed to readjust them down to .032. Which is a pain since it's difficult for me to reduce the gap, but easy to open it. What a weird contradicting form of metal.
My only problem with them now is that I can't reach them, it's like 5 inches down to them from the top of the valve cover! I guess I should've expected that, it being DOHC and a hemispherically shaped cylinder head. But I'll have them changed soon as I can get an extension to reach it.
Maybe for higher quality plugs they'll be set to the right gap, but OEM replacements need to bew gapped, or so I have learned recently.
I have an odd knock in the family car, a Toyota Corolla, 4banger all the way and the plugs I got to replace it were at about .05 or more. I needed to readjust them down to .032. Which is a pain since it's difficult for me to reduce the gap, but easy to open it. What a weird contradicting form of metal.
My only problem with them now is that I can't reach them, it's like 5 inches down to them from the top of the valve cover! I guess I should've expected that, it being DOHC and a hemispherically shaped cylinder head. But I'll have them changed soon as I can get an extension to reach it.
