Torque wrench sizes...

Looking for a torque wrench that would be small enough to use on the spark plugs. I have just replaced them and erred on the low side out of fear of hurting anything. The 18 inch torque wrench one I have is far too long and the smallest I've seen them so far is 9-10 inch. Is that small enough to manuver in the engine compartment? Anybody out there as uptight as I regarding the plugs???

Thanks,

Jean-Paul

Jean-Paul,

I suppose there is room to get a 1/4"-drive torque wrench in 'there' to do the job, but certainly not a regular 3/8" drive torque wrench! I just rely on the factory sparkplug socket, and the 'oft-given' instructions to tighten 1/4 turn after 'snug' ... to crush the collapsible washer on the 3/4" reach sparkplugs. In about 35 years of changing sparkplugs in aluminum cylinder heads, beginning with VW Beetles, I have never had a problem stripping threads when installing sparkplugs in crowded/limited spaces in engine compartments! So, I think your worries are needless! I always use a very small amount of anti-sieze compound -- just a bit on opposite sides, applied with just one 'swipe' of the applicator brush.

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Jean-Paul,

I was able to use the Craftsman small 3/8 in. drive torque wrench to do my plugs. I used the spark pug socket from the tool kit as Warren recommends.

Warren,

In your experience, have you ever seen any spark plugs on these cars back out due to the use of anti-sieze (or back out at all)? I would of course think not because you recommend otherwise.

I only bring this up because I recall reading a tech article somewhere (maybe Excellence) which recommended against applying anti-sieze to the plugs. I thought the recommendation against the use of the paste was rather odd.


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Kevin
87 Carrera

Originally posted by KTL:
Jean-Paul,

I was able to use the Craftsman small 3/8 in. drive torque wrench to do my plugs. I used the spark pug socket from the tool kit as Warren recommends.

Warren,

In your experience, have you ever seen any spark plugs on these cars back out due to the use of anti-sieze (or back out at all)? I would of course think not because you recommend otherwise.

I only bring this up because I recall reading a tech article somewhere (maybe Excellence) which recommended against applying anti-sieze to the plugs. I thought the recommendation against the use of the paste was rather odd.

I recall that Bosch says their plugs require no anti-seize compound.

The main reason I use anti-sieze compound is that I have encountered uncoated spark plugs that have been left in place for years ... 3-5 maybe, but who knows for sure -- that have been extremely difficult to remove, scary, actually, in aluminum heads! NO, I have never personally seen one back out, coated or not, and have to attribute the phenomenon to people, technicians in a hurry that did not torque all of the plugs in an engine because they put all of them in by hand, then went around again with a wrench to tighten them ... and MISSED ONE!

So, what I always do is to install all plugs individually, that is, start by hand, immediately followed by tightening fully with the wrench! I don't really think that wastes any time, and it precludes missing a plug in the tightening go-around!

The amount of anti-sieze I use on each plug is not enough to fully coat the threads, perhaps 40-50% at the most. I use the applicator brush under the lid of the can to put a circular 'dab' about 1/4"-3/8" in diameter on opposite sides of one sparkplug, then I take another clean sparkplug and 'roll' the threads against the 'dab' ... first on one side, then the other to spread out the compound on the threads of the two plugs. The two plugs ready to install then have a thin layer of anti-sieze, and the 'pattern' of the two areas covered with anti-sieze doesn't meet on either plug! Just enough, but not too much ... is how I would describe the amount of anti-sieze applied!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Just to add a note about loose fasteners. A convention practiced by many experienced technicians is to never install a threaded fastener(s) without tightening to full torque specs before moving on to another procedure. This ensures the fastener is installed properly and will not fall out at the most inopportune moment because you forgot to go back and tighten it.

A few years ago, a friend of mine had approx. 12 quarts of engine oil dump because his wrench forgot to tighten the oil tank drain plug. Luckily no apparent damage (?) to his '74 Carrera.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars/