Deere 630 with Autolite 3116s

Is it ok to gap the 3116's at .035 for a little hotter spark? I saw some posts that suggest this. Is it make much difference in power? thoughts?

thanks,
phil

You need enough voltage to jump a bigger spark. I would not gap bigger than spec if ignition system is stock.

If its a pure stock battery powered coil distributor ignition system NOT an after market or high energy or electronic ignition such as Pertronix etc.

It probably wont hurt to run a tad wider say 0.035 gap (but NOT an extreme gap like 0.050 to 0.060 etc) but I don't see it as adding any horsepower. A wider gap means the coil voltage must ramp up higher before the spark occurs and the coil could run just a tad warmer.

When the coil is conducting current prior to the current being interrupted by points opening there is only X amount of energy stored and when the plug fires there's only a finite x amount of energy that gets expended in Volts x Amps x Time. If the voltage is increased (wider plug gap) that means either the current or arc duration time must decrease.

Lay people use the term "hotter spark" but may not realize if the voltage is greater the current may be less. If you have a plug wire jumping a spark to the tractor the spark will change in color and get thinner and wimpier as you pull the wire farther away. A wider gap does indeed cause the spark to be of higher voltage but as far as it adding any horsepower, I just don't see much if any at all improvement.

Sure its likely OKAY (a 0.035 gap) as you ask and I don't envision any serious harm, whatever floats your boat or turns your crank is fine by me lol

John T

It is all stock ignition. Doesn't sound like there is any power advantage, or any advantage at all, so .030 looks like the way to go.

Thanks Much for the info!!

phil

(quoted from post at 19:09:00 10/10/14)
It is all stock ignition. Doesn't sound like there is any power advantage, or any advantage at all, so .030 looks like the way to go.

Thanks Much for the info!!

phil

Click to expand...

You can pretty much bet that if Mother Deere could have gotten more power with a wider spark, that is the way they would have been spec'ed.

John T nailed it (as usual). Another aspect is, with a wider gap/bigger spark, there may be a tendency to run lean. As to "gain of horsepower" you would have to use a VERY accurate piece of equipment in order to measure. HPH