What You Need To Know About Spark Plug Socket Size

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are one of the people who like to work on your car or bike, then there is a good chance that you may know spark plugs. Remember that spark plugs are crucial parts of the ignition system in a car. These parts are responsible for igniting the mixture of fuel and air in each cylinder. The spark plug needs to be in perfect condition for efficient burning of fuel.

When repairing or maintaining your engine, you need to remove and clean these spark plugs or even replace them so that you can install the new spark plugs. You can achieve this by using the right spark plug socket. There is a wide range of spark plug socket sizes, so this spark plug socket size guide can help you to understand the best size for your spark plugs. This page explains what you need to know about the spark plug socket size.

The Ignition System

When you insert your car key into the vehicle and turn the ignition on or press on the electronic start button, the ECU of your car can make an electrical connection between the primary ignition coil and the battery. As you crank the carโ€™s engine, there is the pulsating voltage in primary coils that forces a voltage in secondary coils. This voltage can sometimes be between 20,000V and 25,000V.

As you can see, this is high voltage that is then applied to the spark plugs. It then produces an arc in the air gaps to ignite the mixture of fuel and air. This can cause high pressure in cylinders and as a result of this; it can push the piston down and start your engine.

When your engine is running, your ignition tends to repeat this process of changing low voltage in the battery to high voltage. This sends the voltage to spark plugs and the arc ignites the fuel.

Understanding A Spark Plug

A spark plug has a main central electrode that is surrounded by a ceramic insulator. A metal shell that has threads covers a part of this insulator. The threads in the metal shell allow it to be placed on the cylinder head.

A spark plug also has another electrode called the ground electrode. This is a portion of the metal shell and you can connect it to the metal frame of your car so that it can act as the negative terminal. Also, there is a small space between the ground electrode and the central electrode called the air cargo.

When you apply the high voltage that is in the ignition coils to the central electrodes, the gas molecules that are in the air space tend to be ionized and create a charge gap. This charged area bridges the air space between the electrodes. Because there is enough electrical energy, the current can flow through the charge area and the gas molecules can get very hot to create plasma. The high temperature of this plasma is now responsible for igniting this fuel and air mixture.

 

Jeff Campbell