torque wrench question

[Sniper82]

Spark plugs call for 108 in lb, I call around for a in pound torque wrench and no one in my area has them. One guy told me to just multiply 108 by 12 and and it would be 9 ft lb on the wrench I got.

Is it ok to do this?

 

[BW86]

I usually just tighten them with a regular socket wrench + extension until they are tight... Never felt the need to use a torque wrench on spark plugs.

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Spark plugs call for 108 in lb, I call around for a in pound torque wrench and no one in my area has them. One guy told me to just multiply 108 by 12 and and it would be 9 ft lb on the wrench I got.

Is it ok to do this?

What is your ft-lb wrench out of? Torque wrenches aren't accurate on the bottom 20% of their range. So a 100ft-lb torque wrench is useless if you want to torque something to 19ft-lbs.

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Spark plugs call for 108 in lb, I call around for a in pound torque wrench and no one in my area has them. One guy told me to just multiply 108 by 12 and and it would be 9 ft lb on the wrench I got.

Is it ok to do this?

You would divide by 12 to convert from inches to feet which it seems you or someone did as 9 is correct..

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Spark plugs call for 108 in lb, I call around for a in pound torque wrench and no one in my area has them. One guy told me to just multiply 108 by 12 and and it would be 9 ft lb on the wrench I got.

Is it ok to do this?

What is your ft-lb wrench out of? Torque wrenches aren't accurate on the bottom 20% of their range. So a 100ft-lb torque wrench is useless if you want to torque something to 19ft-lbs.

Ask me how I know this.....

 

[fleabag]

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: Sniper82
Spark plugs call for 108 in lb, I call around for a in pound torque wrench and no one in my area has them. One guy told me to just multiply 108 by 12 and and it would be 9 ft lb on the wrench I got.

Is it ok to do this?

What is your ft-lb wrench out of? Torque wrenches aren't accurate on the bottom 20% of their range. So a 100ft-lb torque wrench is useless if you want to torque something to 19ft-lbs.

Ask me how I know this.....

what??

 

[thescreensavers]

9ft/LB

 

[CurseTheSky]

Just FYI, Google's calculator is great for things like this.

http://www.google.com/search?h...+ft+/+lb&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

 

[bruceb]

9 Ft/Lbs is indeed the correct value for 108 Inch Lbs ... problem is most torque wrenches in 3/8 drive size are not that accurate under 10 to 12 Ft/Lbs ... that is why they suggest the use of a wrench in Inch Lbs for values up to about 15 Ft / Lbs ... This holds true especially if the range of your Torque wrench is large, say 5 to 75 Ft / Lbs .. If on the other hand your Torque wrench is designed for say 5 to 30 Ft/Lbs
then it likely would be pretty accurate at 9 Ft/Lbs or so. On most cars, you can snug the spark plug until it seats by hand. Then go 1/4 to 1/2 turn additional. That would be safe in most cases. And if the engine is aluminum heads, antisieze on the thread (not much) is a good idea (also good on iron heads, but not as critical on them)

 

[NutBucket]

Originally posted by: fleabag

Originally posted by: NutBucket

Originally posted by: fleabag
Torque wrenches aren't accurate on the bottom 20% of their range. So a 100ft-lb torque wrench is useless if you want to torque something to 19ft-lbs.

Ask me how I know this.....

what??

I mean I've run into this problem and snapped a couple bolts because of it. Of course, I should have known I was applying far more that 10 ft-lbs

 

[zylander]

Originally posted by: BW86
I usually just tighten them with a regular socket wrench + extension until they are tight... Never felt the need to use a torque wrench on spark plugs.

This.

 

[Audiotherapy]

get the 1/4" in/lbs torque wrench from Harbor Freight stores or online: http://www.harborfreight.com/c...=12&zmac=112&zmap=2696

 

[Kaervak]

Originally posted by: zylander

Originally posted by: BW86
I usually just tighten them with a regular socket wrench + extension until they are tight... Never felt the need to use a torque wrench on spark plugs.

This.

Same here, never had an issue. I recommend putting some anti-seize on the plug threads. It's not absolutely necessary, but it makes life easier later on.

 

[Colt45]

for wussy stuff like that, I just kinda.. limpwrist it with a guess thrown in.. seems plenty accurate.

 

[LTC8K6]

I used to calibrate torque wrenches. It was very easy to slip up and damage the 5 foot pound torque cell on the machine...