Plug gapping tool...FYI

[kqw]

While spring has sprung and the car is happily back on the road as a daily driver, I noticed I'm spending more money than usual to fill up even though gas prices have remained pretty consistent.

Did a tuneup this winter, the usual stuff however, having lent my trusty feeler gauge to a neighbor, I picked up one of those "coin" type gauges to set my plugs. Big mistake.....

Tracking down the gas consumption thing last week, I pulled the plugs checked the gap with my regular feeler gauge and Jeeeeze....the gap was way off...on the high side.....

I re-gapped with my regular tool and am now noticing a my mileage back to normal.....

ps...That coin gauge really sails a long way into the woods when you fling it out of anger.....

[ruf-porsche]

Maybe you used the wrong units, metric instead of english or english instead of metric?

[kqw]

Yea, that's what I thought because they were way off...however, I know to set them to .028 in. or .7mm

I went back and used the coin tool to set to .028" and then used the feeler gauge to check at .028" and they were off big time.....

It was just that the tool I used has that gradual incline around the perimeter of the coin and it is not very accurate.

[ChrisBennet]

I use the Bosch "Pacman" plug feeler gauge. They look like a folding comb. The "teeth" of the comb are round feel guage wires. I haven't seen them for years. Does our host sell them?
-Chris

[ruf-porsche]

You can verify with a micrometer if the tool is off by mic-ing (?) the tool and checking what the unit indicates the tool to be.