If your wife told you to check the plug in the beginning, sounds to me like she sabotaged it, either to drive you crazy or to try and prove she knows more than you do.  In either case, I would punish her by placing the family in debt by buying a '09 Savage.  That would teach her to never disrespect you again.

No i cant do  that, she was just trying to help, dont worry shes already asking for onw of her own, so maybe tax time ill get a second one for her. And as far as i know shes mechanicly stupid, think? You guys got me wondering now, lol. i will check the gap today, and see what it is.

She sounds like the perfect person to give your used Savage to, and you buy the new one for yourself.  She has curiosity and interest in the bike.  Sounds like she would take great satisfaction in working on it.  You however, have expressed a lot of frustration trying to solve the bike's issues.  You would be more suited for a brand new model, which you deserve to have anyway.