having the .008" air gap is more for keeping the reluctor and pick-up from colliding at full vacuum advance. there's probably a point of diminishing return on widening the gap. i'd think that a wider gap would adversly effect the magnetic signal at some point, but i don't know where that "point" is. i use .008" as a minimum but have never had a problem with a little more gap; but have never went as wide as .026"