Changed the plugs on my 97 today. Service Manual had the gap listed as .039 - .043. But when I pulled the ones in there (they appeared to be the factory orginals) they were all gapped at .078. So, I bumped the new ones to .045 and the car runs and idles fine. Anyone heard of them being gapped that much from the factory?

No, that's electrode erosion. IOW they are "worn out"

Check yours in another 50-60K miles...

If you put on coppers, check them in like 10k.
This is why they use platinums, they wear much slower.

I thought gap was .052-.056 (shooting for .054)

.054"

use autolite or motorcraft double platinums, .045 is gap for CNG engine iirc. gap to .054 with gasoline. should be good for 100k. and remember, no anti-seize, use a torque wrench, start plugs by hand

No anti-seize? Why the hell not?

I had always heard in the past that you should not reset the gap on a platinum plug from the factory. Is there a safe way to gap a plat plug without damaging the thin layer of platinum?

you'll throw off the torque reading on your torque wrench, over tighten and possibly launch the plug

Torque wrench? What's that?
Seriously, though, I've never used a torque wrench for spark plugs. I just tighten them until snug, enough that they stick a bit when I try to take them out. So far, no problems.

I went with the Champion double platinum. And damn, I read the service manual wrong. I've got the cd version and forgot to select Crown Victoria. I know have my plugs gapped for a '97 Aspire. Time to pop the hood and do some adjusting. Thanks guys.

still should be .054. unless you use nitrous.

OH MY F*CKING . . .

I can not believe that we would really need to repeat this, there has to have been a BILLION damn threads on the topic over the years:

1) Do NOT use anti-seize despite what Haynes and Chilton's says. Dry or a light coating of oil.
2) Do NOT start the plug with a wrench, use your fingers on an extension or the classic length of tubing.
3) Use a properly calibrated torque wrench or you will be risking overtighening, wrecking the threads, and launching your plug (read the blown plug threads - you will NOT find anyone who doesn't appear to have messed up changing their plugs before it happened) The setting is pretty damn light; cause there ain't many threads in the aluminum.

{note: the debate over whether it's crossthreading or overtorqueing (or both) is resolved by threading cautiously and using a torque wrench }

Oh yeah, do it with the motor cold AND make sure you thoroughly clean out the plug holes with compressed air or a serious shop vac BEFORE you pull the plug. Haul your head over the motor and look down into the well (use a flashlight if you need to) to make sure it's clean.

Colder heat range does not require less gap.
Higher compression or forced induction (blown or nitrous) sometimes requires running in the 30 - 40 range due to spark blowout problems. I run .40-.42 with the flattops/heads; I know a couple guys with similar motors who run nitrous on top of the cr bump, they run around .32

Better to have as much gap as you can as long as you're producing a healthy spark.

.32, wow, that's a lot of gap