never seize on new plugs?

[EricV]

What amazes me is how many people know more than the factory that designs and builds the spark plugs. NGK couldn't make it very much clearer, do not lube their spark plugs.

What amazes me is that NGK is clearly telling you their plating does what anti-sieze does w/o being a lubricant... and you then seem to believe that all spark plugs have this feature. (Yes, I know the bike came with NGK, and most Yamaha dealers sell them, but assuming we all only use NGK is folly too.)

With some critical exceptions, torque specs, while a Good Thing™ are there so you don't snap something off, or have it fall off. I own multiple high quality Mac Tools torque wrenches and have them calibrated at mid point at reasonable intervals. Used to be every 6 months when I was using them daily, longer now. Ft/lb, In/lb, various ranges since they are most accurate in the middle of the range and exhibit more error as you get to the outsides of the range.

I use my torque wrenches often when working on the bikes. But some things simply require feel. Spark plugs are one of those things.

Even with the same brand, from batch to batch crush washers will 'crush' at the full range of the tolerance for them, and beyond, wholly dependent on the quality of the manufacturing on that day when they were made. I spent 30 years in manufacturing, adhering to very close tolerances, down to +/- 0.0005 for bore diameters. But on the overall spectrum, it was surprising what the engineers would let pass "this time only" when production numbers needed to be met and product needed to go out the door, even when they knew full well it would come back as customer service return.

More and more, quality control is left solely to the machine operator, with no double check, no line checks, and only the assembly dept there to find things that slipped thru out of spec.

Then there are brand variations. I don't have a clue if NGK and Bosch use the same spec, or how that relates to the oems spec for the plugs. But I do know what it feels like when a crush washer 'crushes' and is fully seated.

So, will it break off? Sure, if you're ham handed or have no feel and are just waiting for a torque wrench to indicate a number. Will it fall off? Pretty unlikely, but I have found loose plugs, for a variety of reasons, but not ones I installed. ;D None of them seized either.

We'll cover drain plugs and fill plugs next winter. )

 

[OldRider]

I sell NGK, Denso and Bosch plugs in my store and none of them recommend antiseize. The only plugs I've know of that needed antiseize were the black/steel plugs, but I haven't used any of them in a long time. Then there are tapered plugs, but that's a whole different subject.