Who uses a torque wrench for spark plugs?

As a aircraft mechanic I use a torque wrench on almost every thing. I use the same practice on my vehicles.

 

I use mine. There is a handy dandy torque spec guide for everything on our trucks. I laminated it. Take a little bit off if you use anti sieze.

Why not?

 

I don't, not for something that low. I put antiseize on my plugs as well, which alters the torque reading. I just go off of feel and haven't had an issue yet, knock on wood.

 

In my past life, I worked in an assembly factory and had to perform torque audits on assemblies. When you have been there, done it, you'll understand. Think contract temporary hires on the assembly lines, a common practice now. Some have positive attitudes, some don't, some have common sense, some don't, but the worst are the ones that don't want to work yet are told to find a job. Even if they are good, there's a learning curve. At the same factory, I also did some new employee training and whether these applicants passed or failed the tests, they were hired and put on the assembly lines to perform assembly tasks with hardware assemblies. Management likes to think they have fail-safe mechanisms in place to prevent defects, but in reality, they don't. If it's a mechanical assembly, it can be found to fail at some point, it just how robust it is. The more checks there are the better and it's why sometimes you see painted marks on certain critical assembly hardware.

 

I do on automobiles, not so much on tractors, lawn mowers, dirt bikes…


Also, “never hesitate to lubricate” has served me well over the years…

 

On' the anti seize, if you torque the plugs correctly and change them when recommended you don't need anti seize.

 

I use a torque wrench. It doesn’t require much additional effort. I mean, why not use one?

 

Consider the following facts.

Steel and Aluminum don't like each other. Heat cycling will impact how the two contact each other. Steel and Al have different expansion rates.

In addition, the pressure swing is large and fast. Swinging from combustion pressure to slight vacuum in milliseconds.

These facts will cause movement between the threads. This movement can be a precursor to galling.

A pinch of copper (high temperature) based anti-seize helps to avoid the galling between threads. The galling is the cause of the "SquaaawwwK" during removal.

 

Go by feel and color of underwear. It's over torqued when you see skid marks. Skid marks are reserved for manual tire removal for brake pad replacement after Discount tire uses an impact to install your wheels.

 

I do. Probably don't need to after a million spark plugs, but the small things add up. Also, job done right.

 

Torque wrench on everything that I've got a spec for, and most of those things are at a pressure boundary or are supposed to be tightened evenly (heads, pulleys, flanges, wheels).

 

Spark plugs are plated. There's no steel touching Al.

80k miles

 

1 and a bit ugga duggas

 

At least for my vehicle, the service manual doesn't call for it, didn't come from the factory with anti seize eithe. I like going by what Mr. T says. They're the engineers not me.

 

If the plugs come without a crush washer type seat, I generally don't bother, just tighten slowly until the bottom hits, the quarter turn. If no crush washer, then yes, torque the puppies down, cause I don't trust my arms to tell me the truth anymore.

 

There should be a worldwide TW ecumenical council, so that certain Tacoma policy can be established regarding:
-oil brand and oil change interval
-to torque to spec (or not to)
-use of anti-seize

And so on…

 

As a mechanic I do not, however I've put so many in I have kind of figured out what is too much too little and just right. For beginnings, "Gud n tight" will do just fine

 

Hand tight and a little never cease

 

Yes, 5$ rip

 

03 Mach 1s and 03 Cobra terminator motors had the same issue only 4 threads holding the plugs in. I have owned both of these cars and always waited 24 hours after running them before changing plugs out and never had an issue also never used a tq wrench just snugged them by hand. A lot of these problems with aluminum heads also come from people trying to change plugs while the heads are still warm or hot...