spark plug gap

[hotmilk400]

sorry if someone else already asked this, but i just got new spark plugs for my car, and i need to know what to gap them at. also, when i ordered the spark plugs, they sent me NGK R plugs that are duel fire (2 small prongs instead of one) and i never had one, so i don't know how to gap these. i didnt just wanna gap it to what my old ones are (mostly because i dont think my old ones will be duel fire, and also, i dont know how to gap these.. )

can you help me out? i have the m44, 1.9L 318ti 1998 sport model.

also.. i ordered a intake boot from BMAautoparts, and they sent me the wrong one. the one i need is much smaller then anyone else's i saw on here. (and almost impossible to find) my car has a thing after the mass air flow sensor that controls how much air goes into the intake manifold. what is this used for? the ASC or something? hmm.. i was just wounderin.. haha

[angel318ti]

I believe the NGK are pre-gapped so no need to worry there.

[aceyx]

Stock NGK plugs are dual-prong, pre-gapped as long as you got the right ones.

[Mallard]

on the side of the pack, there should be a distance spec.

on Bosch 2 point its 0.9 mm

[hotmilk400]

i just changed my sparkplugs. OMG they were white and the metal for the spark was almost gone, cant beileve they still worked (they were orgininal sparkplugs for a 1998 with 120K .. haha, they had to be, i jsut got the car btw) anyway.. the one sparkplug was covered in OIL and even started to fill the area around the other side of the sparkplug with oil.(the side of the plug, but not that much) should i be worried if 1 1/2 sparkplugs had oil on them (the first one had alittle on it, the 2nd was soaking in it) will it wreck anything? should i be worried? im guessing its a gasket?? is it expenzive to fix.. i mean.. im not to worrie if it wont do much .

[angel318ti]

change your valve cover gasket. If you still get oil on the plugs then you can worry.

[hotmilk400]

i looked around on the site, but i coudlnt find anything on how to change it.. do u know of a post on how to do it..pictures would be better..haha.. or a simple, how-to, with how hard and how risky it is.. haha.. im not to good when it comes ot the motor, i know basic things.. im more into aftermarket electical installations =]

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i asked my friend, and he said, either: drive it till the head gasket blows and i have to replace it (or part it out when that happeneds) or to try to get it inspected now (i have a problem with the CEL coming on, and i think it related to the cat converter) so if i can get it to pass, sell it quick as is for $2000 - $2500 (has a $1500 sound system in it, which i might take out.. haha, and lower the price more)

[aceyx]

If you can turn a wrench you can replace the gaskets. You need to be somewhat organized, know how to use a torque wrench and be relatively clean (relative since you're working on an engine).

Sounds like your engine is running a little lean. The plugs should come out a coffee (with creamer) brown.

[hotmilk400]

haha... kinda sounds like my spark plugs if u say that the coffee is the oil, and teh creamer is the white burnt marks and coffee cover the sparkplugs with a hint of creamer at the tip.. wow, i should post a pictuer of the one sparkplug.. i changed alot of plugs, and never saw one so warn out, white, and coverd in oil all at the same time.. liek i said, they had to be the original sparkplugs.. haha.. yeah, i figured the only thing i would need to do is take the top of the head off, and put new gaskets in, but i'm not losing enough oil to care about it (at least i don't think so)

would this cause me to fail emissions? i had a code come up awhile ago about the cat converter not being efficient, and i am trying to push to get a new free cat in it since its a 1998 , and might be under warranty yet.. but i had cleared the code about 200 miles ago, and it hasn't come back yet..

as a side note, i saw a few members from state college, PA.. =] ill be there in 1 1/2 years, as a transfer in form PSU berks campus, and i have a few friends up there that are freshman - jrs.