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Hot take: I used to think a torque wrench was a waste of time for most jobs
For years, I'd just go by feel on things like valve covers, oil pans, and even some suspension bolts. I figured if it was tight and didn't leak, it was good. The tip off came last spring when I was fixing a persistent oil leak on a Duramax. I'd replaced the gasket twice, but it kept weeping. An old timer I know, who used to work for a fleet in Boise, watched me for five minutes and said, 'You're crushing that gasket. Get a wrench and look up the spec.' I did. The spec was 18 foot-pounds, which felt like nothing to my arm. I'd been cranking them down to what felt like 40 or 50. Using the wrench felt slow, but that leak never came back. It made me realize I'd probably been causing more problems than I solved with my 'good and tight' method. How many of you actually use a torque wrench for what you'd call 'simple' gasket jobs?
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wren2301d ago
Man, that hits close to home. I was the exact same way for the longest time, just cranking on stuff until it felt right. Then I snapped a bolt on a thermostat housing because I gave it what I thought was a little extra love. That sickening crack sound is something else. Now I use my torque wrench way more than I ever thought I would, even for simple stuff like a water pump. It feels silly sometimes, but it saves so much headache.
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abby_morgan181d ago
Exactly, and @wren230 is right about that crack sound. A torque wrench isn't just for leaks, it's for keeping bolts in one piece.
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