major fu#ck up

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clean up and reinstalled new plugs. have not started it up because i am one plug short. i'll hit yamaha for a new plug tomorrow.

p.s. when i got everything out i was able to put the plug back together and i am pretty sure that it is everything and that nothing fell in. maybe tomorrow i'll post a pic

 
"sober this time i very carefully went step by step"

Hmmm, John Barleycorn claims another victim eh?

When I was torqued, I'd over torque too, Ftlbs, Inch lbs, need another beer. :blink:

 
the only part of the spark pug left in are the threads. that were it broke off. is this easy out used for this? or am i in major trouble?
I did this EXACT thing to mine. After successfully staving off the urge to puke, I got a skinny, long-shafted screwdriver and used it against the ground electrode to turn the remaining piece out. It was actually very easy, as there was no torque holding it in with the top part snapped off....

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Glad you got it out! I had this happen a lot in the early 80's when I was a mechanic on German cars, Bosch plugs broken 90% just above the threads and snapping when I started to remove them. Easy-Outs work well pulling them.

 
Yowsers...
I would not trust any of my torque wrenches in the bottom or top 10% of their ranges. That's why you need to have multiple tools for different jobs, Not that this is a bad thing, mind you...

Any day that you get to buy a new tool is a damn good day. ;)

PS - I actually have a torque screwdriver for really, really low torque settings. Think I'm kidding?
ANSI specs provide that the stated accuracy range (such as +/- 3% clockwise) of a torque wrench is applicable in the upper 80% range (20% to 100%) of the tool's rated capacity. Like most measuring devices, torque wrenches are most accurate in the middle of their range. Below 20% of capacity I don't use that particular torque wrench, given that I have the good fortune to own multiple torque wrenches.

I note that there seems to be a real issue in finding torque wrenches that put 13 to 20 ft-lbs in the middle of the range. Lots of 200 inch-lbs tools available out there, and lots of 80 ft-lb tools, too, but that puts the crossover between the two wrenches at the extreme upper end of the inch-pound wrench and the low (20%) end of the 80 foot-pound wrench. M8 bolts tend to be spec'ed right about at 16 ft-lbs, as I recall, and there are a fair number of important bits that use M8 fasteners. Anybody have a hot setup for that range?

 
the only part of the spark pug left in are the threads. that were it broke off. is this easy out used for this? or am i in major trouble?
I did this EXACT thing to mine. After successfully staving off the urge to puke, I got a skinny, long-shafted screwdriver and used it against the ground electrode to turn the remaining piece out. It was actually very easy, as there was no torque holding it in with the top part snapped off....

DSC01046.jpg


DSC01047.jpg
Interesting. I've never seen one do that. I needed something else to worry about. Thanks. :blink:

 
the only part of the spark pug left in are the threads. that were it broke off. is this easy out used for this? or am i in major trouble?
I did this EXACT thing to mine. After successfully staving off the urge to puke, I got a skinny, long-shafted screwdriver and used it against the ground electrode to turn the remaining piece out. It was actually very easy, as there was no torque holding it in with the top part snapped off....

DSC01046.jpg


DSC01047.jpg
So the threaded part of the plug must snap off of the metal body when over-tightening the plug. It's not that the threaded part is galling in the head or you'd never get the threaded part out by jamming a screwdriver or tapered dowel into it. I've never has the balls to tighten any spark plug that much. I have had plugs that pulled the threads clean out of an aluminum head before, and kind of assumed that would happen before you snapped off a plug. Live and learn...

 
Toecutter's broken plug appears to have a lubricant on the threads.

I'd think the use of anti-seize lubricant on the threads would make the recommended torque meaningless.

 
Toecutter's broken plug appears to have a lubricant on the threads.
I'd think the use of anti-seize lubricant on the threads would make the recommended torque meaningless.
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I just found some info on another site re anti-seize. I use it on all my machines (spark plugs when steel meets aluminum. With the anit-seize however, approx 30% less torque is needed due to the anti-seize. I torque plugs by feel anyway (approx 1/4 turn once it snugs down-new plug). Never had a problem..

Note: I had a KLR (1989) that ALWAYS had a problem removing the plug, back and forth, back and forth until it came out (without anti seize). Luckily I didn't tear up any threads... Ever since I've been using anti-seize on my 05 KLR, no problems with 22,000 miles and 2 plug changes so far... also just used it on my 04 FJR without problem....

I believe the torque values are for dry threads but i may be wrong....

Scott

 
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Toecutter's broken plug appears to have a lubricant on the threads.
I'd think the use of anti-seize lubricant on the threads would make the recommended torque meaningless.
I thought you were suppose to lubricate torqued fasteners to minimize the effects of friction when trying to achieve a certain amount of fastener stretch or in this case crush.

 
Torque specs are dry unless the torque specification specifically calls for a lube of some kind. As mentioned, generally when you lube a threaded fitting the dry torque value is reduced by 30%.

 
When you get right down to it, the large number of fine threads is what "seals" the sparkplug in the head......said another way the threads create a gas seal if you will. You really only need to make the plug tight enough so that it doesn't want to back out. A 1/4 turn after it's seated ought to be plenty, especially given the length of the rubber plug cover that also creates friction to keep the plug from backing out..

jim

 
When you get right down to it, the large number of fine threads is what "seals" the sparkplug in the head......said another way the threads create a gas seal if you will. You really only need to make the plug tight enough so that it doesn't want to back out. A 1/4 turn after it's seated ought to be plenty, especially given the length of the rubber plug cover that also creates friction to keep the plug from backing out.. jim
Wisdom from the ages....or agED. :p

Love ya, Grumpy!

(Frankenbike is f@(#ing ROCKET!! BTW, haven't swapped ECUs yet. I'm thinking, since the Barbarian Jumper Mod is different between the 03 and 04, then obviously the wiring is different. I'd hate to plug in the 03 ECU and let out some expensive smoke, rendering it useless)

'Howie

 
I had never seen that before either. (threaded barrel disconnected from the spark plug body) And +1 for what Ionbeam said.

 
the only part of the spark pug left in are the threads. that were it broke off. is this easy out used for this? or am i in major trouble?
I did this EXACT thing to mine. After successfully staving off the urge to puke, I got a skinny, long-shafted screwdriver and used it against the ground electrode to turn the remaining piece out. It was actually very easy, as there was no torque holding it in with the top part snapped off....

DSC01046.jpg


DSC01047.jpg

well you saved me from having to posted a picture because that is exactly what i did.

 
Back in the last century when I first started working on cars professionally,I broke a spark plug in exactly this way while removing it. The ammount of torque required was quite substantial. Either you guys bought some defective plugs,or you REALLY need to relax when tightening them. ;)

Mike

 
I had this happen on the FJR w/o a torque wrench being used. In fact, I hadn't even fully crushed the washer when it broke! Barely started to snug the plug down and it broke loose leaving just the thread barrel and electrode in the hole. Easy fix with an easy out taped to a socket on an extension. Still annoying to have to go buy another plug.

Frankly I think NGK has a bad run of plugs. It didn't even take normal torque to break mine off.

There is no reason to use a torque wrench on spark plugs. It's just like the oil drain plugs, it's about feel.

 
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