Side gaping?

[GW's Motorized]

I was looking at a spark plug from a drag car I got at a drag racing event I went to a few months back. It is side gapped, and this got me thinking. Has anyone side gapped one of the plugs for these bikes before? Would it help performance at all, or do nothing?

 

[DAMIEN1307]

Spark plug side gapping is the process of cutting back the ground electrode of a spark plug to expose more of the spark to the fuel mixture, resulting in a more efficient burn before the exhaust valve opens. (there are no valves on our two stroke motors), This can increase both power and mileage, as the spark is now un-shrouded and more exposed to the fuel/air mix.

To side gap a spark plug, simply cut the ground strap electrode and gap the plug between the closest two parts of the electrodes. The gap is the distance between the center and side electrodes, set so that arcing occurs at the proper voltage that ignites the fuel and generates the combustion that makes the engine run.

I do not know if our bike motors would necessarily benefit at all from this proceedure

Does Side-Gapping Spark Plugs Work?

Secret Racer Trick: Side-Gapping or Cutting Back a Spark Plug Electrode Improves Performance in Extreme Racing and May Even Increase a Stocker’s Gas Mileage

www.motortrend.com

 

[GW's Motorized]

I might try it some time. I was just wondering if anyone had tried it on a motor bike

 

[Chainlube]

The outboard on my fishing boat doesn't have any electrodes on the plugs.

 

[GW's Motorized]

The outboard on my fishing boat doesn't have any electrodes on the plugs.

Is it an e3 plug? I know those don't have electrodes, they are factory side gapped, but I haven't used on in anything other than my predator 212s

 

[DAMIEN1307]

Is it an e3 plug? I know those don't have electrodes,

YES, they do have electrodes.
The electrode of a spark plug is a thick metal wire that lies lengthwise within the plug and conducts electricity from the ignition cable hooked to one end of the plug to the electrode gap at the other end, but Yes, they are a side gapped plug.

Contrary to popular belief though, they do not fire on all three sides at once for "extra spark firing power" the spark only sparks to which ever electrode gap "receiver" contact point offers the least resistance.

 

[darwin]

YES, they do have electrodes.
The electrode of a spark plug is a thick metal wire that lies lengthwise within the plug and conducts electricity from the ignition cable hooked to one end of the plug to the electrode gap at the other end, but Yes, they are a side gapped plug.

Contrary to popular belief though, they do not fire on all three sides at once for "extra spark firing power" the spark only sparks to which ever electrode gap "receiver" contact point offers the least resistance.

That sure is a purdy lookin plug there, me likey!

 

[DAMIEN1307]

The outboard on my fishing boat doesn't have any electrodes on the plugs.

Is it an e3 plug?

NO, it is not an E-3 plug...Years ago we used to call them "fire in oil" or "anti-fouler" spark plugs for engines that were worn out and would foul out spark plugs due to excess oil bypassing the worn out engine parts.

When I was first starting to work on some of my old time vehicles back in the 70s, I had occasion to use a few on some bad cyclinders.

They looked alot like this more modern day version.

 

[Chainlube]

Like this.

Amazon.ca

 

[GW's Motorized]

I might put one of those in my old man's tractor. It runs good, but it smokes until it is warmed up