Well, Steve and I tinkered with my truck tonight.....trying to determine why I have a bad spark knock/ping and very poor fuel mileage. Started with the easy stuff....pulled the plugs. Factory gap setting is .040". The closest any of my need-to-be-replaced-soon plugs was .064" Biggest one was .070". Re-gapped them and went for a ride. No more ping. Then as I'm leaving his house really happy like, I get a bad miss and the check engine light comes on. One plug wire is bad. Really giving off a light show in the dark. Taped it up good for now and will replace the set (and the plugs) asap. Could not believe the increase in power on the way home (especially after I realized the AC was on!! Duh!!). Starts better, idles better, and I can light both of em up from a dead stop if I want to. All things that I could not do when I got to Steve's house.

Just wanted to say thanks Steve. You've been a big help and a good friend all summer long.

Do the cap and rotor also. That will also help.

Spark plug gap, huh? Hey that is great. Being a GM man I would have never thought of that. Not to put down your Dodge at all but, I don't think I have ever heard of a late model GM truck being that sensitive to spark plug gap. I had an '89 Astro Van and never changed the plugs until it had 107,000 miles on it. Some of the ground straps were almost gone. It still started and ran great. Put new plugs in it and did not run any better than with the old ones. Glad it is nothing expensive and labor intensive like the intake manifold gaskets. Maybe your luck is getting.... no I'm not going to jinx you by saying it is getting better. DOH! I said it anyway.

See ya, Doug

Maybe your luck is changing MIKE. ANYTIME -- STEVE

Didn't I tell you about two weeks ago to change the plugs !!!!

Oh Well what the hell do I know!!!!!!!!!


Later Dude

So then the plugs were installed from someone else other than Dodge before you bought it with as much as .070" of a gap??? Bet you're glad you found that glitch! I'd like to have known who did that job! Heck, my 540's require a .045" plug gap and .045" is a lot! That's what Crane calls for when using their ignition boxes. Other than that they usually about .035". Good job Tink!

The truck has 80,000 miles on it. I believe that they are the original plugs and wires. They are over due to be replaced. The big gap was due to erosion of the electrodes due to age.