14
Unpopular opinion: People keep using the wrong torque spec on spark plugs
I've seen three different cars this month with cracked ceramic insulators because someone just cranked them down with a regular ratchet. The manual for a 2018 Ford F-150 clearly says 15 ft-lbs, but I guess that's too hard to look up. How many engines need to get wrecked before folks start using a torque wrench?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
jake_patel2mo ago
That "snugged them up good" line reminds me of my uncle who always said he could feel when a bolt was tight enough. He stripped the threads on his lawnmower's oil drain plug last summer doing the same thing. Had to tap new threads into the aluminum block.
8
ward.anna10d agoMost Upvoted
Weird how people treat any kind of measuring tool like it's optional, right? You see the same thing with people guessing baking temps or just eyeballing tape measures. @daniela85 probably knows someone who thinks a level is just for show too.
7
erickelly2mo ago
That bit about the cracked ceramic insulators hits home. I pulled the plugs on my neighbor's Civic last week and found the same thing, just shattered. He admitted he just "snugged them up good" with his old ratchet. A cheap torque wrench is like twenty bucks, way less than a new cylinder head. It's pure laziness.
4