Damage control

[SparkPlugged]

So it appears that I made a newbie mistake and may have over tightened my spark plugs yesterday. :baby: I applied a liberal amount of anti-seize on the threads and torqued them down to factory specifications @ 20ft/lbs. Obviously the anti-seize reduced the friction and caused me to over tighten my plugs. Luckily, I didn't feel any stripping during the tightening process and the Jeep appears to be running fine. However, I'm curious if there is anything I should do to prevent any issues this may cause further down the road. Should I just leave them in there until the next spark plug change? Or should I try to take them out and redo them? :shrug:

Any advice would be appreciated. :worship:

 

[tombo_ontario]

If you torqued them to spec I don't see what the issue is? If you're really worried you could just take them out, wipe off the anti-seize and re-torque but if it's running fine...

 

[tommudd]

Never use anti seize on any I do,
remove, check if worried and go on
run them down finger tight then another 1/2 turn

 

[GYPSY400]

Im sure if they are torqued to only 20ftlbs with a torque wrench it will be fine.. it doesnt sound like you stripped any threads or left them loose.. if you did, you would know by now!

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[HoosierJeeper]

I torqued mine to 20ft lbs and I haven't lost any sleep because of that.

 

[uss2defiant]

unless his torque wrench is way out of spec

 

[SparkPlugged]

If you torqued them to spec I don't see what the issue is? If you're really worried you could just take them out, wipe off the anti-seize and re-torque but if it's running fine...

The issue comes from the fact that torque specs expect your bolts/plugs to be dry. When you add anti-seize it reduces friction on the threads allowing you to tighten further than normal. From what I read, the common practice is to reduce torque by about 20%. So I should have torqued to 16 ft/lbs instead of 20. Since I didn't do this, I'm nervous about having possibly messed up such a vital part of engine performance. It appears to be running fine for now, but I wanted some second opinions on if it's smarter to leave them slightly over torqued or redo them altogether.

 

[SparkPlugged]

I torqued mine to 20ft lbs and I haven't lost any sleep because of that.

But did you happen to use lots of anti-seize on the threads?

 

[SparkPlugged]

Im sure if they are torqued to only 20ftlbs with a torque wrench it will be fine.. it doesnt sound like you stripped any threads or left them loose.. if you did, you would know by now!

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Thanks for the reassurance. I'm hoping it's fine. They definitely weren't stripped or loose, but I wasn't sure if over torque could cause some issues further down the line due to things like heating, expanding, contracting, etc...

 

[SparkPlugged]

unless his torque wrench is way out of spec

I actually bought the torque wrench used and never calibrated it, so there is a very good chance it is out of spec. Do you happen to know if it typically over torques or under torques when it's out of spec? I would assume the latter since the inner "parts" are loosened/weakened, but that's just an uninformed guess.

 

[uss2defiant]

it can go either way.

Should not be a problem with what you've done. If you're worried, just hand tight them then.

Next time go easy on the "lube".

 

[HoosierJeeper]

But did you happen to use lots of anti-seize on the threads?

Maybe a dab. Not sure. I shall find out this spring/summer when I do the annual change. Been like this since April and no issues.

 

[SparkPlugged]

Never use anti seize on any I do,
remove, check if worried and go on
run them down finger tight then another 1/2 turn

Yea, from now on I won't be putting anti-seize on spark plugs. Thanks for the input.

 

[LibertyTC]

A glob of anti-sneeze on threads and tightening not a good plan. It does change the torque values. ahhh. chew...:icon_lol:
My plugs can be in for a few years so, I do rub a tiny bit into spark plug threads, then a wipe off with a particle free paper towel.
This leaves a very, very, slight hint still in threads.
About 500 miles later, I also check to make sure they are still tight, or @ torque values.arty52:

 

[SparkPlugged]

it can go either way.

Should not be a problem with what you've done. If you're worried, just hand tight them then.

Next time go easy on the "lube".

Haha. Will do. Thanks.

 

[SparkPlugged]

Maybe a dab. Not sure. I shall find out this spring/summer when I do the annual change. Been like this since April and no issues.

Good to know. I will probably ride it out unless I start noticing performance issues. Thanks for your input.

 

[SparkPlugged]

A glob of anti-sneeze on threads and tightening not a good plan. It does change the torque values. ahhh. chew...:icon_lol:
My plugs can be in for a few years so, I do rub a tiny bit into spark plug threads, then a wipe off with a particle free paper towel.
This leaves a very, very, slight hint still in threads.
About 500 miles later, I also check to make sure they are still tight, or @ torque values.arty52:

This seems to be the proper way to use anti-seize on the plugs. I was apparently treating it like a lube, the more the merrier. When in fact, a little goes a long way.

 

[GYPSY400]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'm hoping it's fine. They definitely weren't stripped or loose, but I wasn't sure if over torque could cause some issues further down the line due to things like heating, expanding, contracting, etc...

No trust me, you will be fine. . The issue with overtorquing is stripping the threads or breaking plugs, which would happen at a higher torque than 20. (35+) And if they were loose, the gaskets wont crush (if there is gaskets) or they would vibrate and blow out.. Even with antiseize the 20ftlb value is decent.. dont loose any sleep over it.

Just think.. some guys at the dealer use air ratchets to run them in, no torque wrench in sight!

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[Hockeygoon]

No trust me, you will be fine. . The issue with overtorquing is stripping the threads or breaking plugs, which would happen at a higher torque than 20. (35+) And if they were loose, the gaskets wont crush (if there is gaskets) or they would vibrate and blow out.. Even with antiseize the 20ftlb value is decent.. dont loose any sleep over it.

Just think.. some guys at the dealer use air ratchets to run them in, no torque wrench in sight!

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

I wouldn't worry about it on these engines - the ones this became a huge issue were the earlier Ford 4.6 engines - their aluminum heads only had about 3 threads in the spark plug hole and a 12 ft pd torque spec. You could strip the threads just snugging them up before you even checked them with the torque wrench.

And I would definitely use antiseize with an aluminum head. When you go to remove the plugs it is so easy for the threads to gall to the plugs and strip the hole out.

 

[JeepJeepster]

I always use antiseize and so far so good on.. well... 9 Jeeps. Always torque to fsm spec.