Do you torque your spark plugs ??

4.6andSlicks · May 6, 2007

Who here who torques there plugs faithfully everytime they put them in, has had a plug blow out on them. I torque to 11 ft/lbs (per the manual) each install. I don't want any surprises while cruising. Am I safe?

forum155pl · May 6, 2007

i do the hand tight and 16th of a turn method... i thought your supposed to torque them to 14?

heyzuess · May 6, 2007

Yeah, it's 14, at least that's what I torque mine to.

RoadconeTuning · May 7, 2007

ive never tq'd anything... i put my thumb on the head of the 3/8drive ratchet and my pinky on the end of the handle and go untill its tight like that... i doubt your pinky can crank 30ft-lbs into something and its tight enough to me.

trinity_gt · May 7, 2007

With all the stories we hear of mod motors puking spark plugs, I religiously torque (if I re'n're them) using an in-lb clicker and re-check them twice a season to verify the tightness.

A pretty minor inconvenience to save a cylinder head.

RoadconeTuning · May 7, 2007

04 heads FTW they revised them for 04 and possibly late 03 lol..

Kilgore Trout · May 7, 2007

RoadconeTuning said:
04 heads FTW they revised them for 04 and possibly late 03 lol..

Heads with additional threads (nine threads total) did not appear until 2005. All heads made prior to 2005 have FOUR threads.

DropTopPony · May 7, 2007

Kilgore Trout said:
Heads with additional threads (nine threads total) did not appear until 2005. All heads made prior to 2005 have FOUR threads.

Are you sure KT? I have heard they added more threads in 04 and some 03's...it might have even been Randy that said it.

Kilgore Trout · May 7, 2007

Yes, I am sure.

32valves · May 7, 2007

i have seen some VERY late 04's that have the updated head (like last month or 2 of the production late)

DTNODYA · May 7, 2007

I don't use a tq wrench for plugs. I've always just tightened them with a ratchet until they are snug.

Nater · May 7, 2007

heyzuess said:
Yeah, it's 14, at least that's what I torque mine to.

Now it's 14? Other threads that I've read have said 11-12 ft/lbs and that is what I've used.

steveb24 · May 7, 2007

i just did mine today. I put anit-seize on them, and tightened the mofo's untill the socket wrench didnt turn any more. i used to torque them to "spec", untill I had one BLOW OUT! forget that, just tighten them down good so u dont have to dish out $200 every few months

mustang90 · May 7, 2007

steveb24 said:
i just did mine today. I put anit-seize on them, and tightened the mofo's untill the socket wrench didnt turn any more. i used to torque them to "spec", untill I had one BLOW OUT! forget that, just tighten them down good so u dont have to dish out $200 every few months

Damn dude the heads are aluminum! The plugs are steal! Surprised you didn't strip the threads out of the heads

four six · May 7, 2007

DropTopPony said:
Are you sure KT? I have heard they added more threads in 04 and some 03's...it might have even been Randy that said it.

I believe Randy said something like that when I called about new PI heads

steveb24 · May 7, 2007

mustang90 said:
Damn dude the heads are aluminum! The plugs are steal! Surprised you didn't strip the threads out of the heads

i dont know how they would strip THAT easily man, i mean, just cause its aluminum dosent mean you can cut right into it. When the engine is stone cold, so is the metal. everyone thinks of aluminum in its state when its hot, but when it isnt its pretty tough. Now i agree to not overtighten, but when everyone spits them out im gonna put them in there pretty darn good.

thomas91169 · May 7, 2007

i put them in using a speed driver and torque them quarter of a turn past their snug point.

bdcardinal · May 7, 2007

04+ PI castings have more threads. i work in a Ford parts dept and we had one lying around. i checked the engineering number on the head.

4.6andSlicks · May 7, 2007

So I see one guy that torques faithfully that's shootin' plugs and he's using antiseeze. I disagree with the use of antiseeze if there's a problem with plugs coming out on their own. Why lube them more? I change mine every season with a new set of NGK copper ones with the engine absolutely stone cold.

I think in this case, the antiseeze was to blame. I may kick the torque wrench to 16 ft/lbs and sock 'em in dry to be sure. I'm very careful on the removal and have never gotten any aluminium showing on the threads.

Anyone agree?

Kilgore Trout · May 8, 2007

bdcardinal said:
04+ PI castings have more threads. i work in a Ford parts dept and we had one lying around. i checked the engineering number on the head.

Were the heads Rev C? What was the manufacture date? How many threads were there? AFIK only Rev C heads have 9 threads and Rev C heads were first made in 2005.

I know this is a confusing issue and I know there is a lot of confusion about exactly when the number of threads was changed from 4 to 9. However, I would really like to nail down these facts and get this clearly defined...

Do you torque your spark plugs ??

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