Originally Posted by
rmfnla
To install, put the pedal in place by hand and freewheel until the treads engage, then finish up with the wrench.
I'd be afraid of cross-threading. I ruined a nice crank once by letting a friend's kid 'help' me with some pedals, I didn't realize he had cross-threaded my pedal and jammed it in there until the pedal fell out when I was riding. Fortunately a local shop was able to save the crank with helicoil.