I read something online where it said that if you intall your spark plugs with the opening in the bottom facing directly toward the intake, minimal power gains can be seen... Can anyone confirm this?

 

I have heard that too. Highly rediculous if you ask me. Even if there were gains, it would be so negligible.

 

and how would you ensure the opening is facing the intake ports?

 

They say to mark the spark plug about where the opening is... it kind of makes sense though if you think about it, doesn't it?

 

Not really because the intake charge fills the cylinders through the valves which doesn't flow toward the spark plug gap. Not to mention that the spark isn't ignited as the cylinder is filling, but as the charge is compressed into a uniform mass.

 

I doubt it would really help at all, considering the combustion process takes place AFTER the intake valve closes, so how would facing the gap toward the intake port help?

Besides, it would be too difficult to prove anyway... The only way would be to do the test in a controlled laboratory, yet even the slightest change in a fixed variable ( be it air temp, pressure, humidity, etc) would throw the test into jeopardy.