i know its recommended to use a torque wrnech and tighten as specified from the deaer, but is it really all that necessary? i have heard of many people just tightening it by hand and having no problems at all. will there be any difference in performace if its torqued exactly corrent compared to being off by maybe 10 pounds? know what imean? thanks

 

Yes, you should use a torque wrench. The torque spec is 14-22 foot pounds. Performance is not the thing you should worry about. Plugs which are made too tight may be difficult to remove, and they may strip out the threads in your aluminum cylinder head. There are some places where short cuts are acceptable, and this isn't one of them.

 

On my old car a beretta, i changed my plugs and didn't use the torque wrench and about a month later one blew out of one of my cyliders and stripped the threads. I had to get a heli-coil put it and it was a pain. Use the wrench