Spark plugs

[kab]

Anyone have any tips for tightening spark plugs without torque wrench?

 

[christianmb]

I read somewhere (it might have been on Champion's website, I don't remember) the for gasketed spark plugs (With a washer) it is snug + 1/2 turn. For conical seat plugs, it is snug + 1/4 turn. Someone else might want to confirm, but that is what I have used and no problems

 

[DustyXB]

Regardless of the plug, I've always gone snug plus 1/4-1/2 turn extra.[up]

 

[kab]

Thanks alot for the replys, i actually just loaned a torque wrench from the parts store. Another wierd thing was i bought tge ngk dcpr9eix plugs and i checked the gap on them and they were both under .035 actually under .030. So i gapped them at .035. The new spark plug wires from ironmachine went on perfect. Im waiting for tomorrow to pull the bike out my basement to start it. Its freezing rain right now

 

[DustyXB]

Just open a window or a door and add a fan and you'll be good to fire in the basement.

 

[kab]

Lol yeah right when i drove it inside through the sliding glass door it took like a week to get the smell out. My wife almost killed me. Plus its about zero degrees out.

 

[DustyXB]

Toss some race gas in it with the grape or cherry additive and shell love the smell lol

 

[rockerphotographer]

Harbor Freight has cheap torque wrenches. They're not the best but better than guessing. If you're working on your bike just once it's worth it [up]

 

[Stevenc150]

Especially in aluminum, I never use a torque wrench. But I've developed a feel for it so that might not suit everyone.

 

[snrusnak]

Especially in aluminum, I never use a torque wrench.  But I've developed a feel for it so that might not suit everyone.

I agree for most applications...I've stripped aluminum using factory torque specs. Since aluminum stretches and strips easy, I do it by feel usually. If you go really slow you can almost feel the bolt in the hole starting to stretch and then you know to quit tightening. Since I've been doing this I've never stripped anything in aluminum and never had anything come loose.

 

[TooFst]

I never heard of or read ANTWHERE that spark plugs should be torqued... It's always as stated above.. Finger tight then X amount of a turn. I usually go way under myself. Closer to an 1/8 of a turn...

 

[mattleg]

For a new plug with new gasket the turns vary from 1/3, 1/2, to 2/3 depending on the thread class. For our 12mm class plug it's 1/2 turn. For an old plug, with crushed gasket, the recommendation is 1/12 turn regardless of thread class. From Here

The torque method in my opinion is better as the condition of the gasket does not matter. Yes, one must be cautions of the cylinder head material (aluminum vs iron) and always start at the lower end of the range. For our 12mm thread class plug the value is 15-20 Nm (10.8 to 14.5 ft-lb). I usually torque to 125 inch-lb . From Here

In either case of torque or turn/angle method a good mechanic always considers 'feel' as a double check to stripping the threads, particularly with aluminum heads.

 

[mattleg]

As an additional note, the torque on the threads makes a difference to the heat transfer of the plug to the cylinder head. Look Here