#How to install spark plug crush washers manual

I’ve always really liked cars, but I really suck at fixing them mostly because I’ve never had many opportunities. I was annoyed at the time, but it was a great lesson for me since the consequences were so minor and I learned to be cautious. Fortunately, fixing that involved just buying a $5 used oil pan and installing it in 15 minutes. I’m a little paranoid about stripping the threads after I did so on an oil pan on a motorcycle a few years ago.

#How to install spark plug crush washers manual

I think the manual says to turn it 2/3 of a turn after the plug touches the cylinder head? Is that too much (I’m just wondering if the whole quarter turn thing is fairly universal, or if it varies a lot from car to car)? Also, regarding when the spark plug is “seated”? Would I be correct in assuming that when the plug is as tight as I can get it with my fingers that it is then time to get the ratchet out and do the quarter turn? I think I’ll do the quarter turn method, and maybe check with the torque wrench. You’d really have to try at it to strip a plug hole with a fresh crush washer. One other option is just do it the quarter turn method and then put a torque wrench on it to double check (which is generally more accurate than measuring the torque while you’re applying it, especially on a cheap wrench). I think it probably doesn’t matter a lot either way. Secondly you don’t know 100% that the car actually came with crush washers (well, unless it says so in the factory manual or if you know for a fact the plugs in it are the factory ones) and so if the torque spec is for without crush washers, getting it to the specified torque with a crush washer on is not very relevant. The torque can increase until the washer crushes and then go down again, which with the low torque specifications on a spark plug can mean that you might be able to reach the specified torque before the gasket crushes, which means it’ll be too loose. Two points: one, the crush washers make it somewhat more difficult to get an accurate reading with a torque wrench. Of course, you should only remove and install spark plugs in a cool engine, because metal expands when hot and thread damage can happen.I’d add another vote for no torque wrench. The spark plug holes must always be clean prior to installation otherwise, you may be twisting against dirt or debris and the spark plug will be under-torqued, even though your torque wrench indicates the proper torque. In short, over torquing can cause severe engine damage. The most dangerous result is pre-ignition when the heat dissipation is reduced due to metal shell stretching by over torquing. Stretching of the spark plug metal shell can break the inner gas seals or cause a fracture in the spark plug insulator. Over torque can cause the metal shell of the plug to stretch. Proper torque specs for both aluminum and cast-iron cylinder heads are listed below. As a result, the firing end of the spark plug can overheat and pre-ignition can occur. A spark plug that is under-torqued will not be fully seated in the cylinder head and heat dissipation will be slowed. Torque directly affects the ability of the spark plug firing end to dissipate heat to the cylinder head.

Torque is one of the most critical aspects of spark plug installation.