Do You Need a Torque Wrench For Spark Plugs

Nothing beats the satisfaction of fixing your own car completely yourself. You can save hundreds of bucks just by doing simple procedures. Spark plugs can be swapped out in no time with a torque wrench.

Torque wrenches are essential if you plan on performing any major repairs to your engine or power train components.

Using a right-sized torque wrench to exchange your spark plugs is very important. It helps prevent you from under-tightening or over-tightening plugs.

Why is a Torque Wrench Necessary To Change Plugs?

Most spark plugs failures can be traced back to incorrect tightening torque. You should apply proper torque to tighten the spark plugs. And the good news is it isn’t very expensive.

If you don’t use a torque wrench you might wither over tighten or under tighten the spark plug. Let’s see what are the malfunctions that can happen from inaccurate spark plug torquing.

Under-tightening: If it’s not tightened enough, there is a risk of plug overheating and compression loss. It’s also possible that the electrodes or insulator may also be harmed as a result of extra vibrations.

Over-tightening: If it’s over torqued, the plug metal shell will be over-stressed and possibly break. The surface can also distort. Distortion disrupts heat dissipation area, melting and overheating of the electrodes, pre-ignition, or even engine spoil can occur.

Is It Possible To Hand Tighten Plugs?

You can screw the spark plugs using your hand until the gasket reaches the head of the cylinder. When it does, use a torque wrench to precisely tighten it. So, no you can’t do the job entirely just by hand.

Is a Spark Plug Socket Essential for Tightening it?

“NO” You don’t need a spark plug socket to install or remove plugs. A right size deep socket will work in most cases, enough patience is required, and with the socket, perhaps some pliers would be helpful.

Final Thoughts

Getting the better torque wrench for spark plugs will ensure appropriate torquing. You can use the wrench to tune up other mechanical parts of the engine and other devices as well.