I think I have an idea on how I am going to gap them. I just want to make sure I don't ruin them by doing something wrong. I was just thinking of using a pair of needle nose pliers to bend the tip of the plug and use a thickness gauge to get the gaps set to the correct gap thickness. Is there anything wrong with using needle nose pliers? How fragile are the tips of spark plugs anyways? I am worried about breaking off the tips.

Most parts stores sell a pretty cheap gapping tool. Also if you bought NGK plugs, they should come pregapped.

When you say *tip* you do mean the curved part and not the point coming from the body of the plug, right?

The curved part is fairly sturdy because it is meant to be bent to set the gap.

The body of the plug is rather fragile and should be handled carefully. A drop of 2 or 3 feet can crack them.

Needle nose should be ok, but don't scratch the electrodes on the sides. That can create hotspots and shorten the life of the plug. I like to use a metal fingernail file to smooth off any rough spots in the actual gap.

I use a graduated, round gapping tool to check and also set the gap. Cost about a dollar at RetardAuto or AutoDrone.

Stick it in the gap and gently wiggle it to get the correct gap. If the gap is too large a very gentle tap should close it enough to start over.

BTW, FERTHER doesn't like anything but NGKs.

Even though most plugs come pre-gapped from the factory you should always check them.