Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Gas furnace intermittent ignition

I'm working on a Tappan nat gas furnace with an intermittent ignition problem. Half the time the thing ignites and runs fine, other times the thing just sits there sparking, but the gas valve doesn't appear (or sound) like it's opening to light the pilot. The ignitor always starts sparking, so I've ruled out the thermostat.

I don't know the model, but there's actually a bundled cable (of maybe 5 wires) going from the gas valve to the ignition module.

I sat down there and watched it sparking. Shut the unit off, then restarted and it did the same thing. I did this about 5 times and was about to give up when I shut down and started it again, and it started sparking, and then I heard the definite click of the valve open and the pilot lit immediately. Sticky valve or ignition module? I'm guessing it's an expensive valve with all the stuff on it.

Post the model of the gas valve. Sounds like a Smart Valve by Honeywell. If so it needs replaced.

Don't believe this would be a Smartvalve (hsi igniter) possibly a loose molex at valve if so equipped. Pretty much quessing at this point. Is this a White-Rodgers valve??