I decided to finally change the spark plugs, wires, cap, and rotor in my 95 F150. It has 148,000 miles and they haven't been changed since about 75,000. Anyway, I bought Autolite AP25 platinum plugs thinking this would be the last set for me. Hood sticker says 52-56 thousandths. The plugs out of the box are 43-45. Bending the ground strap even up to 52 doesn't look right. 95% of the plugs I've installed over the years have been very close out of the box and the ground strap was always pretty much perpendicular to the plug itself. Am I missing something here? I definately don't want to install them with the wrong gap. Any comments?
Truck is stock with K&N drop in filter. Stock 302, stock exhaust, stock everything except stereo.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks..

 

Depend's on year as to correct gap, but regardless of year, I would not run Plats. Stock copper cores for producing less combustion chamber temps, as well as eliminating (transferring away) heat that is produced.

Assuming the engine is the one that came in the truck, your hood sticker is gospel.

 

Our trucks don't like platinum plugs use the cheap autolites or motorcraft copper core plugs. I could be wrong but I think . 052-.056 is too much my 91 has it as .042-.046 but that could be the difference between a 91 and a 95

 

..and it is.

 

its the difference in the engine. 5.8 is .042-.046 and 5.0 is .052-.056.. almost positive but i could be wrong.

 

Which engine, is yet another reason gap's vary. But earlier stock 302's are .042-.046 & later stock 302's are .052-.056.

To further confuse thing's, although my 87' 302 call's for .044 stock, I actually gap at .056, because I upgraded my ignition system which included a high output Coil. (If asked, I would have to post a pic of my HO coil. It's really a beauty as well as a brute...Somebody? Anybody?)

In addition to that, I cut most off the outer electrode off. A Plug modification known as "Side Gapping". (but that's another story)

 

I agree that copper core plugs are the best choice for performance. I had a 97 Cobra that had platinum plugs from the factoy, plus it had different plugs in the left bank as opposed to the right bank. I ran coppper core Motorcraft plugs with motorcraft wires and is screeeamed.
Back to the truck. I got a great deal from Rockauto on the AP25s and they should work fine on a barely driven totally stock truck that goes to Lowes or Home Depot maybe once a month. It barely heats up, even on the Istate so that little electrode should be fine. Again, I'm just concerned about gapping them all the way to 054 when 045 looks right..

 

I've heard that about Mustangs but not F-150s. I have a 2008 GT with a CAI and some tunes. The 91 octane "high performance" tune makes it ping like . The tuner said to put copper plugs in it . For now I just run a more conservative tune. What is it with my Fords and plugs right now?

 

That's interesting. I've never heard of side gapping. Did you have to index the plugs in the head to make it work?

 

Actually, I refer to "side gap's" as, "The lazy man's answer to indexing."

Here's a link w/ more info: http://www.performanceunlimited.com/...degapping.html

Welcome to the Forum by the way, Steve!