Torque for used plugs?

[AutoMechanic]

Hope you used anti seize. If not good luck getting them out in 100,000 or however many thousand they are good for.

 

[nicholas]

Did you use the OE plugs? Because the OE plugs usually are pre-gapped

(you don't have to buy them from the dealer, as the same OE plugs are available in the parts stores or online)

Aftermarket ngk ruthenium......
Much better now.

Thanks everyone.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Aftermarket ngk ruthenium......
Much better now.

Thanks everyone.

I didn't know those could be gapped!

 

[tblt44]

Hi car gurus.

I would like to inspect my plugs.
When I put them back in what torque spec should I use?
The same when I installed them?

Thanks everyone.

I just snug them up.
Torque is sometimes too much I.M.O. for the aluminum

 

[wolfox03SS]

Hi car gurus.

I would like to inspect my plugs.
When I put them back in what torque spec should I use?
The same when I installed them?

Thanks everyone.

Yes. Put them back in the same as fresh. If they have little dangling metal gaskets on them? They're already crushed down. In that case, install them good and snug. Once you've threaded them in by hand to the base, I'd hold a ratchet choked up close to its head and give 'em one stout but not excessive "ugh!" and open the beer!

 

[wolfox03SS]

The German way, gut-en tite.

Ja, Gütentaght! Seriously though, hold yer ⅜" by the head on your ⅝" socket (or whatever fits) and just one good ham fisted uhg! That's all.

I didn't know those could be gapped!

Carefully. Very carefully. You don't want to buck the rare earth buttons off the tip(s). Just barely touch them with your gage to find where you're at. Use the other side of your gage (if it has the toothy looking bit on it) as a mini wrench to adjust the gap by only twisting the ground electrode above the spark plug threads, not leveraging or wedging anything *between* the electrode tips.

Or use fine needle nose pliers to apply pressure only to the ground electrode, again, just above the threaded barrel. Check with gentle strokes of the gage between the button tips until satisfied. It is entirely possible. But not for the hasty or impatient.

 

[nicholas]

Me

I didn't know those could be gapped!

Me neither....I called ngk to make sure.

 

[nicholas]

Ja, Gütentaght! Seriously though, hold yer ⅜" by the head on your ⅝" socket (or whatever fits) and just one good ham fisted uhg! That's all.

Carefully. Very carefully. You don't want to buck the rare earth buttons off the tip(s). Just barely touch them with your gage to find where you're at. Use the other side of your gage (if it has the toothy looking bit on it) as a mini wrench to adjust the gap by only twisting the ground electrode above the spark plug threads, not leveraging or wedging anything *between* the electrode tips.

Or use fine needle nose pliers to apply pressure only to the ground electrode, again, just above the threaded barrel. Check with gentle strokes of the gage between the button tips until satisfied. It is entirely possible. But not for the hasty or impatient.

It took me a while to carefully open the gaps. But I got em. Needle nose pliers.

 

[wolfox03SS]

It took me a while to carefully open the gaps. But I got em. Needle nose pliers.

I'm curious, what did NGK say?

"No sir, only a mega egg head tech can do that. Return them for credit on our pre-gapped plugs." ?

Most say naw to even trying. I've bought vehicle specific dual tipped iridium and platinum plugs. Even vehicle matched ACDelco RapidFire plugs that have those ghastly cardboard tubes to protect them in shipping. I always check and they're at least two more in a set of six- eight that are smushed in to at least half of what they should be.

And public opinion be d*med.

I spot them all with just a schmear of any old anti seize metal based lube I've got laying around.

Anyone that tells you a 100k/mile tuneup goes easy swapping the plugs and boots without previously gooping on a little lube when threading into aluminum heads on a GM is fibbing.

 

[Malo83]

I just snug them up.
Torque is sometimes too much I.M.O. for the aluminum

hand tight.

 

[eljefino]

I’ve dealt with too many seized plugs and broke many off. I do plugs by feel

Where's the shop where you work? Because I want to take my car across the street.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Where's the shop where you work? Because I want to take my car across the street.

Lol. Definitely don’t want to do that the place across the street is a Chinese restaurant . It’s not me that has torqued the ones down that have broken off it’s ones that have been done by other people and I broke them off trying to take them off.

 

[wolfox03SS]

Lol. Definitely don’t want to do that the place across the street is a Chinese restaurant . It’s not me that has torqued the ones down that have broken off it’s ones that have been done by other people and I broke them off trying to take them off.

Across the street from one of only really competent mechanic's shop is a pie restaurant.

Only ones I had trouble with are exactly like you. Someone else gorilla grunted them in or run them down to the edge with a power tool. The other really tough ones I came across were on Saturns. As a "100k/miles" between tune ups sorta cars, I fix plenty for neighbors that haven't sold them off already for electrical/ alternator glitches or failing ECVT's.

They use a non-spark striking test routine at key on, before crank to ionize the gap in the plugs. Any plug not to muster will light a mill for general engine service. By the time the light comes on for general service, those plugs will just soft weld themselves into place. (The hard to pull ones *always* have the blue, factory paint marker swipe on the side of the insulator)

Lots of spray penetrant... breaker bar and magnetic plug socket with about 4 hours of swearing, sweating and rocking them back and forth in the threads is just about par for the course. Now I know why shops sometimes charge $500 for an electronic system tune up. All that labor is in extracting plugs without going all Wrekt It Ralph.