Spark Plug Question (Again!)

 Thanks for everyone's patience.

I will replace my spark plugs ('cause I can).  2006 Honda Shadow 600.

The shop manual gives two different instructions for putting plugs in, one
for putting the same used plugs back in, and one for putting in new plugs.

The "used plugs" instructions are easy for me to understand.  It just calls
for a certain torque.  I'm all set there.

The "new plugs" instructions essentially say "finger tight" then half a
turn.

I don't fully understand what is happening when screwing in new plugs.  When
I posed this question months ago, someone said that when you've crushed the
crush washer it has a certain feel to it, or that I would know by feel when
the plug is in far enough.

Does anyone have any advice or explanation for me when putting in new plugs
for the first time?  (As in first time, ever, in my life.)

Thanks.
--
Jujitsu Lizard (jujitsu.lizard@gmail.com)

 Jujitsu Lizard wrote:

  Like the other guy said , you tighten it to deform the crush washer enough
to seal . There IS a certain feel to when it's "tight enough" . Ever
considered using a torque wrench and the mfr's spec ? Likely somewhere in
the 15-25 ft/lb range , IIRC  <my H-D manual sez 18-22 > .
--
Snag
'90 Ultra "Strider"
'39 WLDD "Popcycle"
Buncha cars and a truck

 Jujitsu Lizard wrote:

Your plugs have a crushable washer as you apparently already know.  When you
put used plugs back in the torque vs. angle graph looks nearly asymptotic.
You stop turning the wrench when the torque climbs to the rated number.

Putting in a new plug, while the washer is being crushed, the torque vs.
angle graph  will have a more gradual slope until the washer is completely
compressed, which will take about a half turn.  At that point the state of
the system is essentially equivalent to what it was when you were replacing
a used plug.  Is that technical enough for you?

The one thing you didn't mention is using anti-sieze on the spark plug
threads.  A little goes a long way and I *always* use anti-sieze on plugs,
especially when they go into an aluminum cylinder head.  This will prevent
bad things from happening years later when the steel plug threads have
married themselves to the aluminum threads, and unscrewing the plug results
in the threads coming out with the plug.

This is the type of anti-sieze you want, the gray bottle on the left,
Permatex 133K Anti-Seize.  That bottle is literally a lifetime supply
I bought my bottle about 20 years ago and I'm pretty sure I won't use
it up before I die.

http://www.beltco.com.my/catalog/images/Permatex/PERMATEX%20133K%20ANTISEIZE.jpg

 Mark Olson wrote:


better yet, use anti-seize.

 
You know, embarrassingly, I couldn't be sure which one was right, so I had
to look it up:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=seize

seize is right.

What happened to "i before e, except after c, or when ayyy as in neighbor"?

Looks like a major grade-school rule breakdown.

In addition to spelling gaps, I can't identify the 50 states on a map like I
used to do in grade school, and I also can't subtract by hand fluidly like I
used to do.

But, let's hope I can do valve adjustments and spark plugs.