What's the BFD with Spark Plug Changes????
FTE Legend
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 127,357
Likes: 3
From: Peoria, Illinois
Honestly-it's not a BFD.
People are far too paranoid about doing this since a few gorillas have changed their plugs and stripped the threads causing the largest majority of the problems you read about. Personally-I refuse to use a torque wrench on a modular. With the multiple extensions, universals, etc that you need to get to the plugs-it isn't possible to accurately torque them. Always use a good quality nickel based anti-seize, and change the plugs at a realistic interval and you'll never have a problem.
JL
People are far too paranoid about doing this since a few gorillas have changed their plugs and stripped the threads causing the largest majority of the problems you read about. Personally-I refuse to use a torque wrench on a modular. With the multiple extensions, universals, etc that you need to get to the plugs-it isn't possible to accurately torque them. Always use a good quality nickel based anti-seize, and change the plugs at a realistic interval and you'll never have a problem.
JL
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 991
Likes: 6
From: Newberry Springs, CA
Weird, I needed no universals doing my plugs on either my v10 or my 4.6's... And really only one extension, same length for all of them. I used a torque wrench on my V10 - only because it's so hard to gauge torque by feel when you're laying on your stomach across the engine 
I set my torque wrench to 10 initially, torqued the plug,then reset the wrench to 14 and re-torqued them.
I thought about going to 21# as many posts have indicated here, but at 14# they seemed pretty tight. I guess that's where MY paranoia came in about stripping a plug.
Modular motor junkie
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 8
From: Texas
People are far too paranoid about doing this since a few gorillas have changed their plugs and stripped the threads causing the largest majority of the problems you read about. Personally-I refuse to use a torque wrench on a modular. With the multiple extensions, universals, etc that you need to get to the plugs-it isn't possible to accurately torque them. Always use a good quality nickel based anti-seize, and change the plugs at a realistic interval and you'll never have a problem.
JL
JL
Where are you needing a universal joint, Johnny?
I don't think I have ever needed one on the modulars I have done plugs on. I tend to not be gentle enough with things and I am afraid to do it without a torque wrench. A 3/8 drive wrench set at 180 inch lbs has always worked well for me.
Postmaster
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 4,171
Likes: 12
From: SE Texas
The threads are not very strip prone. In fact, even the early 4 thread heads will break the plug off before you strip the threads.
Where are you needing a universal joint, Johnny?
I don't think I have ever needed one on the modulars I have done plugs on. I tend to not be gentle enough with things and I am afraid to do it without a torque wrench. A 3/8 drive wrench set at 180 inch lbs has always worked well for me.
Where are you needing a universal joint, Johnny?
I don't think I have ever needed one on the modulars I have done plugs on. I tend to not be gentle enough with things and I am afraid to do it without a torque wrench. A 3/8 drive wrench set at 180 inch lbs has always worked well for me.
As for not using a torque wrench.....To date-not a single spark plug related problem or "blowout". My results speak for themselves:
'97 Tbird-nearly 300K miles, and multiple plug changes at the track over the last 5 years or so.
'01 F150-260K miles-it's on it's 5th set of plugs.
'01 Navigator-around 200K miles when we sold it, and it was on it's 3rd set of plugs.
'98 F150-280K miles-it's on it's 6th set of plugs(if Dad hasn't changed them already)
'05 Excursion-85K miles-it's on it's second set of plugs
'05 F250 3V-82K miles-it's on it's second set of plugs.
NONE of these have every had a blowout problem, a stuck plug problem, etc,etc. None of my vehicles see more than 50K miles on a set of plugs. They ALL get Nickel based anti-seize when they're replaced. NONE of them ever get a torque wrench.
JL
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