Spark Plug Torque

[toetoe]

is it very important to use a torque wrench when you check or replace your spark plug.

[nelly1]

i never have and ive never had any trouble

[charlie chitlins]

A little bit past snug...if you grunt, it's too tight.

I think the most important part is a dab of grease or ant-seize and make sure it screws all the way in with fingers.

Edited December 9, 2013 by charlie chitlins

[pschrauber]

I don't use any torque wrench for mounting the plug, my rule of thump, when the engine is cold:

If the plug is unused = new and is fittet with a sealing ring, insert and thighten with hand, then add less then 90° with a wrench.

Very Important: if the plug was used and is fittet with a sealing ring, insert and thighten with hand, then add less then 30° with a wrench.

Anyway most people do thigthen them too much, especially when they remount used plugs because they forget that the sealing ring will be compressed when the spark plug is mounted the first time, this compression only happens one time (first time), then not any more.

Torque settings depends to the material of the head and which kind of plug you use, I believe you have a spark plug with a flat seat and sealing ring:

10 - 15 Nm for size M 10 x 1,00 in an aluminium head,

15 - 25 Nm for size M 12 x 1,25 in an aluminium head,

20 - 30 Nm for size M 14 x 1,25 in an aluminium head,

20 - 35 Nm for size M 18 x 1,50 in an aluminium head.

If the threads of the plug are greased take 30% less!

Torque settings for iron heads are diffferent.

Torque settings for spark plugs with conical seat and without sealing ring are again different.

[tltel]

It's something you learn from experience, better to be loose than strip the thread out of the head, don't use a long tommy bar when you tighten it, and use your wrist rather than your arm.

Same goes for most of the small engine bolts and fork clamps etc, I have a small Allen key spider tool and I find it great for the bike, it fits in my hand and a twist of the wrist is all that's needed to tweak most service bolts up without over doing it.

TLTEL

[toetoe]

thanks everyone, i'm looking through the old posts for most of the information i need and it really is helping but their are just a few things that kind of contradict themselves, so i prefer to ask than make the wrong decision and do damage, the tips on riding techniques i have found have been a real help but bike repair and maintenance is a different thing and can be very costly for the sake of waiting for a few hours for some one to reply to a post.