View single post by Esprit2
 Posted: 03-29-2006 11:03 pm
Full Topic
Esprit2

 

Joined: 05-01-2005
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Posts: 572
Status: 
Offline
colinw59 wrote: I'll trying gapping the plugs to 0.035"- 0.045"

Colin,

It takes a higher voltage spark to jump a larger gap.   The appropriate gap for the OEM coil was 0.023"   For the Pertronix Flamethrower you can go to .035".   However,  I'd be cautious about going further than that.

If you go to far with either high voltage or large plug gaps,  you may start to have issues with the spark cross-talking between the closely spaced terminals in the distributor cap.

Look at late model distributors designed for high energy coils and you'll see that the caps are very large.   Sometimes the size is necessary to enclose more stuff crammed inside;  but more often than not the size is also a design requirement to keep the terminals far enough apart to permit the use of the really high voltages.

The Lucas distributor has a tiny cap,  and the terminals are very close together.   A gap of 0.035" shouldn't be a problem,  but I wouldn't go with more.   Don't go nutz.

Tim Engel