has anyone on the list tried this yet?

http://performanceunlimited.com/docu...degapping.html

this method is supposed to be better than split fires or any of the
other fancy plugs out on the market for HP increase.
since plug life is decreased this wouldnt be good for DDs but
my car is registered and insured as a QQ as im sure many others are on the forum and the insurance rules allow limited miles per year.
i personally change my plugs every couple of years anyway so the shortened plug life wouldnt matter in that respect.

any professional engine builders feel free to chime in.

 

First time I have heard of this one. It would be easy enough to try. I don't understand why making the gap smaller is of any benefit. I think most of us are increasing our stock ignition systems output and at the same time increasing our plug gaps to get a bigger spark. Interesting reading.

 

iv'e done on a track car,,the gap opened up pretty fast on the street

 

spark jumps better to a "sharp" edge rather than a flat surface

 

i've read that if you mark your plug b4 you install it so that the open end of the electrode is pointing at your cumbustion chamber, your vehicle would run much better than if you installed it in any position

 

i believe you are thinking of a process called indexing.

what side gapping does is expose more flame directly to the cylinder
center for complete combustion of the fuel instead of squeezing the
flame towards the side.

im just wondering what the real world gains would be and i dont mean seat of the pants feel.

 

Actually, Autolite's Racing Plug is a sidegapped plug.

 

If they go thru all that trouble to write the article and take all those pics, why don't they put a car on the dyno to back up their claims, pretty easy to prove if the car has more power with the side gapped plugs compared to the same car with ordinary plugs, unless of course this is another "Tornado"

 

actually i was hoping someone on the list with a upcoming
dyno test would undertake this task and post actual results.

my car is no where near ready for a dyno run other wise i would
do it myself.

 

Side gapping has been around for years. I used to run side gapped plugs at the track on my old firebird. I remember it did make a difference when i ran them that way but dont recall exaclty how much now since its been a few years. It will shorten there life drasctically on the street. I just ran them at the track then changed before leaving or little later after i got home. Hope this helps some.

 

exactly what the article says, 6-9k out of a set of sidegapped plugs.

since many of us only put a few thousand miles per year i was just wondering if it would be worth it to try a set but it would me neat to see actual dyno results.

 

I suspect some engines will benefit others may not. My 454 with high domed pistons possibly could benefit, I know it needs all the spark help it can get. Similar result to plug indexing.

 

The purpose of the larger gap is to expose more of the spark or flame front to the combustion chamber as is the purpose of indexing that is also mentioned earlier. The side gap plugs solves both problems in one shot by exposing the flame front to the combustion chamber directly. The electrode shrouds the flame front causing it to burn in a pre-determined direction dictated by the position of the electrode (indexing lets you determine the direction), opening the gap gives it more space to fire and spread to help overcome this directionality to a small degree. Side gapping works and can solve some problems with high compression/performance engines by promoting a hotter more complete burn that completes its burn cycle faster, therefore allowing the cyl/piston more time to cool in between burns to decrease the instance of detonation that is common among higher compression engines (this is also the reason for larger spark gaps on regular plugs), so you dont need the extra gap to propagate the flame front toward the mixture. The other reason for the smaller gap is because the electrode erodes or gives up a small piece of itself every spark just like a welding rod, with a side gapped plug, it only gives it up on one side of the electrode causing it to wear much faster than if it could jump around the whole circumference of the electrode.