There is a limit...

ChrisJ

Fred said:

ChrisJ said:

Yeah,
What were plugs good for in 1960, 10,000 miles?

Yes! The problem with the 100K plugs is they weld to the heads in tht time and then they usually break off when you try to replace them. Then you end up pulling the heads anyway but at least that's at 100K

Have to admit, never heard of this happening.
I just replaced mine at 60,000 as per the maintenance instructions because it's turbocharged and they came out smooth as can be.

My dad did his at 105,000 and said he had no issues as well.

Fred

It happens a lot. I had to have a new set of glow plugs at 60K and several of them were welded and they had a time getting them out after a couple broke off. I had the plugs in my Ram done at 30K to avoid that issue. They came out fairly easily except for one but they got it out after actually climbing into the engine compartment.

ChrisJ

Hatterasguy said:

They are not "welded".

On a diesel, carbon accumulates around the plug and prevents rotation of the plug. If enough time elapses between removals, they won't rotate without fracturing.

They can be removed if you use a lot of penetrant and are very patient with an impact wrench with a KNOWN limit.

I've heard the same for spark plugs.

Of course, Fred is apparently working on a Dodge, so we can see where the problem is.

ChrisJ

Hatterasguy said:

Spark plugs get into issues when they are overtorqued. They really get into issues when they are overtorqued in aluminum heads. It takes nearly nothing to seal a spark plug and.........yet.........the geniuses torque them to 45 lb-ft or more.

All of mine are torqued to 15 ft-lb.
Yes, I used a torque wrench, aluminum heads so I was anal. We all know I'm never anal any other time, so.

Fred

@ChrisJ I love my Ram!

KC_Jones

Hatterasguy said:

Spark plugs get into issues when they are overtorqued. They really get into issues when they are overtorqued in aluminum heads. It takes nearly nothing to seal a spark plug and.........yet.........the geniuses torque them to 45 lb-ft or more.

And lug nuts fit this same category. Run the impact until it won't turn anymore....great and when I get a flat I now need a tow because I can't remove the lugs. Not to mention the risk of warping brake rotors from over torquing. I actually use a torque wrench on my lugs. Most people would be shocked at how easy it is to loosen a lug nut that is at 100 ft/lbs versus 200+ that some shops do.

KC_Jones

ChrisJ said:

Hatterasguy said:

Spark plugs get into issues when they are overtorqued. They really get into issues when they are overtorqued in aluminum heads. It takes nearly nothing to seal a spark plug and.........yet.........the geniuses torque them to 45 lb-ft or more.

All of mine are torqued to 15 ft-lb.
Yes, I used a torque wrench, aluminum heads so I was anal. We all know I'm never anal any other time, so.

I torqued valve covers once. How else do you get a "feel" for how tight things actually need to be? I don't think that is anal at all....it's learning and being a good mechanic.

ChrisJ

KC_Jones said:

Hatterasguy said:

Spark plugs get into issues when they are overtorqued. They really get into issues when they are overtorqued in aluminum heads. It takes nearly nothing to seal a spark plug and.........yet.........the geniuses torque them to 45 lb-ft or more.

And lug nuts fit this same category. Run the impact until it won't turn anymore....great and when I get a flat I now need a tow because I can't remove the lugs. Not to mention the risk of warping brake rotors from over torquing. I actually use a torque wrench on my lugs. Most people would be shocked at how easy it is to loosen a lug nut that is at 100 ft/lbs versus 200+ that some shops do.

Or how easy it is to spin the nuts on and off before a shop over torqued them.

ChrisJ

KC_Jones said:

ChrisJ said:

Hatterasguy said:

Spark plugs get into issues when they are overtorqued. They really get into issues when they are overtorqued in aluminum heads. It takes nearly nothing to seal a spark plug and.........yet.........the geniuses torque them to 45 lb-ft or more.

All of mine are torqued to 15 ft-lb.
Yes, I used a torque wrench, aluminum heads so I was anal. We all know I'm never anal any other time, so.

I torqued valve covers once. How else do you get a "feel" for how tight things actually need to be? I don't think that is anal at all....it's learning and being a good mechanic.

Depends,
There are absolutely no original torque specs for anything on a model A and yet, people work on them.

My favorite is a mistake in one of the best books out there for it that say to torque the oil pan bolts to 20 ft-lbs. 20 ft-lbs with a thick cork gasket.

I didn't use a torque wrench, but I'd guess I did 5 ft-lbs the two times I did it. 20 would squeeze the gasket right out without a doubt.

Fred

They over torque EVERYTHING. Its crazy!

Charlie from wmass

Okay back to the heating. @Jamie Hall next cold snap isolate the vaporstat and use the pressuretrol. Getting up to a couple pounds would give you a lot more heat per square foot.
As for engines, they are all junk. I have Ford, Chevy, Jaguar, and Rover. I have loved and hated everyone.

Charlie from wmass

5 to 6 btu per square foot more. @Jamie Hall has many square feet of edr.

ChrisJ

If the vaporstat is tripping the boiler is too big to begin with.

Put a slightly smaller boiler in and let it run wide open, problem solved.

ChrisJ

Hatterasguy said:

Charlie from wmass said:

5 to 6 btu per square foot more. @Jamie Hall has many square feet of edr.

If he has an EDR of 1000, you're looking at 6,000 BTUH additional.

You could turn on the smallest burner on the stovetop and achieve the same result.

Actually, my stove's smallest burner is only 5000......

Jamie Hall

Charlie from wmass said:

Okay back to the heating. @Jamie Hall next cold snap isolate the vaporstat and use the pressuretrol. Getting up to a couple pounds would give you a lot more heat per square foot.

As for engines, they are all junk. I have Ford, Chevy, Jaguar, and Rover. I have loved and hated everyone.

If it gets that cold again I'll turn on a couple of my barn heaters! I'm not a bit unhappy with the way it ran; it could maintain, just not recover -- and it gave me a good solid check on how everything was running.

In response to @ChrisJ 's comment -- the vapourstat does trip, after about 30 to 45 minutes running. Recovery takes exactly as long as the post purge sequence on the boiler, which promptly starts pre purge and then is good to go for another half hour or so. I doubt very much that even @Charlie from wmass 's magic could get it much closer than that.

And back to the higher pressure -- there's a major problem with that: the Hoffman Differential Loop would trip, putting boiler pressure in the returns (which is what it is supposed to do). Wouldn't help at all.

It's running as it is supposed to run. Had my great grandfather put in more radiation -- but who needs it? That cold only comes once every few years. I can live with that!

ChrisJ

If it barely maintains temp, or even drops 2 degrees when its -20F out who cares?

Unless you're in an area that sees that weather often it sounds proper to me.