Spark plug gapper

[dmeadow]

Do these things really work?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-90031

I've admired them from afar for years, but the cheapskate in me couldn't get past the cost differential between it and the little pucks with wires or ramps.

 

[jhelrey]

Link bad...

 

[GIJoe4500]

I am pretty sure he was trying to link to this....

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900313

 

[G1GRANDEUR]

yeah, link is bad.

don't waste money on spark plug gapper, just buy coin shape one.

I actually never check pre-gapped spark plugs, never had a problem.

 

[dmeadow]

Sorry, trying again:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900313/media/images

 

[ImportTuner]

The new ones are ****; I have them and a really old Lisle which is excellent. I used it in the early 70's when spark plug gaps were not over .040.

 

[Skin]

gapping pliers...interesting but a waste of money unless you're the guy on the factory floor gapping a few thousand plugs a day.

With iridium long life plugs manufacturers recommend the wire type gap gauges, not the coin one.

 

[Scout Driver]

I've got one of the older Snap On automatic gappers. Fun to use if you have a lot of plugs to gap. For anything but production-line type work, not a necessary tool.

Scott

 

[Big-Foot]

In all my years of working on cars both professionally and as a hobby, I have never seen the need to buy one of these.
I do double check all plugs whether they come gapped at the factory or not. I find a plug periodically that has the wrong gap tolerance and some that are consistently wrong.
You may buy a plug that will work in a few different applications, but there are two gap specs. Which spec does the factory use? The .045" or the .060" as an example.

I also do not like the coin type gap gauges and prefer to use a wire gauge which I feel will give you more accurate results.

 

[Steinmetz]

The new ones are ****; I have them and a really old Lisle which is excellent. I used it in the early 70's when spark plug gaps were not over .040.

I have one of the Lisle tools. I bought it at a garage sale. I've used it a few times. Mostly, I use a wire gage to set plug gaps.

 

[warmpancakes]

I have a snap on one from 1965 its brand new in the box, Cant bring myself to use it

 

[rlitman]

I have a snap on one from 1965 its brand new in the box, Cant bring myself to use it

I saw mine at the flea market. I couldn't leave it behind for a buck as a novelty, but I can't bring myself to use it. It is a little different than this though, as it has separate "fingers" stamped to different thicknesses.

I like the wire gauges, and I use a pair of jewelers pliers to adjust them if necessary (some types of plugs will need adjustment, but just about everything that isn't plain copper comes adjusted out of the factory).

 

[tdkkart]

I change so few spark plugs, can't hardly remember when I changed my last set??
I think the Jeep Liberty a couple years ago was the last one.

 

[thejudges69]

I could never get the concept of them coins it didn't seem accurate to me, I still use feeler gauges and make sure the snake bite feels the same on each plug.

 

[dmeadow]

Thanks, guys. Reason I ask is that my wife asked me to name a Xmas gift-- specifically, "something I wouldn't normally buy for myself." This was one tool that I thought would fit that bill.

I have several vintage vehicles and a racecar that I has me changing spark plugs and gaps more than the average bear, and I get frustrated with the hit and miss of the other types of tools. So thought it might be nice to have.

If it is just going to weigh down the toolbox, then meh.

 

[Scout Driver]

If you find a nice, vintage one for a reasonable price, pick it up. Enjoy using it and hang onto it just for the novelty of a cool, old tool. Like I posted above, its not a necessary tool, but your last post made it sound like you'd enjoy one anyhow.

Scott

 

[OveRReV]

i have a Snap-on sparkplug gapping tool & gauge i snatched from a US surplus shop, got it for a few $, one of the handful of Snap on tools i own, i'm so poor i could only buy used. LOL

 

[warmpancakes]

3.95 purchased oct-20-1965

 

[Subyroo651]

3.95 purchased oct-20-1965

So very cool!

 

[dmeadow]

That is way cool. Kinda like the tool equivalent of a trailer queen!

I found a used version of the same tool on eBay for $26 with free shipping. I went ahead and bought it, thinking I couldn't go wrong with a Snapon for that price. And if I find I never use it I can probably sell it on...

 

[Gary S]

Why make it more complicated than it needs to be? $1.29 at Northern Tool.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...kw={keyword}&gclid=CKDK16_viLQCFY1DMgodxi8AxQ

I have one similar to this that I picked up free about 40 years ago, and it has worked perfectly every time.

 

[warmpancakes]

I found a used version of the same tool on eBay for $26 with free shipping. I went ahead and bought it, thinking I couldn't go wrong with a Snapon for that price. And if I find I never use it I can probably sell it on...

I grabbed this one for 29.00 shipped, Its just a heat piece to have, need to decide what drawer in tool box it belongs in

 

[Cougar]

Thanks, guys. Reason I ask is that my wife asked me to name a Xmas gift-- specifically, "something I wouldn't normally buy for myself." This was one tool that I thought would fit that bill.

I have several vintage vehicles and a racecar that I has me changing spark plugs and gaps more than the average bear, and I get frustrated with the hit and miss of the other types of tools. So thought it might be nice to have.

If it is just going to weigh down the toolbox, then meh.

That's how I got mine.
Don't use it much, so what.

 

[warmpancakes]

heres the instructions as requested

 

[Garyss.smith]

Long ago when I raced cars we used the squeeze type because it bent the ground so that it was parallel with the center center connector. this gave the proper distance all the way across the center electrode. I thought that was better.

Well time forward, I just use the cheap wire feeler type, because I didn't buy the old one just borrowed it.

Gary