Spark Plug Gap confusion

[Bob Kontak]

2002 Windstar under hood sticker says 52-56 thousandths gap.

Advance Auto parts offer has three different gaps for three different plugs for this car.

Should I gap to factory recommendation if not to factory specs? The Iridium plugs seem pretty fragile. Are they even meant to be tweaked?

[Scott Douglas]

I've never gapped Iridium plugs as they're too pricey for me to screw up.
52-56 thou is a BIG gap.
The gaps are probably recommended by the plug maker so I'd use them.

[island911]

I would go with the hood sticker. Each engine design is different.

[SCadaddle]

As I found out a week ago, a 3.5L V-6 Taurusaurus will tolerate a plug gap of almost 0.080 as a result of being driven 110,743 miles before 2 cylinders on one bank (of course they would be the ones against the firewall under the intake plenum) will collude against you on a 3 mile bridge to an island with NO parts store or auto repair facility.......

[bleucamaro]

my .02: Gap based on plug recommendation, not based on car car recommendation.

I think pretty much all sparkplugs come pre-gapped anyway. I recently installed a set on my little 190e, and they were pre-gapped and very consistent, all within .002.

[island911]

nah. There is no magical ubiquitous general spark-gap. Plug manufactures are going to shoot for middle of the range. Engine manufactures know the cylinder pressure range and the voltage wave pushing the spark.

[masraum]

I'd go with vehicle manufacturer's spec. I would NOT trust a website from an autoparts place (likely entered by humans, and potentially including numbers for all available engines and or other years)

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

As I found out a week ago, a 3.5L V-6 Taurusaurus will tolerate a plug gap of almost 0.080 as a result of being driven 110,743 miles before 2 cylinders on one bank (of course they would be the ones against the firewall under the intake plenum) will collude against you on a 3 mile bridge to an island with NO parts store or auto repair facility.......

Which island was that?
Sounds like a market waiting for a store to open.

[javadog]

A bit of apples and oranges. The Ford-specified gap is for the plugs they put in there. Supposed to be platinum from what I gather on the net.

I'd install the Denso platinums and leave them gapped the way they are. .050 is close enough to .052-.056. They'll open themselves up as they wear.

[john70t]

Story needs some spice:
"It was down-pouring like buckets, mudslides and trees had fallen across the roads, early Sunday morning in the deserted warehouse district where cops feared to go, and only the distant sounds of shots kept the roaming feral ravenous dog packs at bay. I needed to get there soon or bad things would happen. My credit card had been canceled only days earlier,bills piling up, and how to trade a busted guitar for some parts was a mystery."