Appreciation post: the day I stopped using a torque wrench by feel on engine bolts

After I snapped a head bolt on a Ford 302 last spring and had to drill it out in the parking lot, I finally bought a good inch-pound torque wrench and now I sleep better knowing nothing is going to back off or strip on me has anyone else had a project go sideways from trusting the old elbow method?

3 comments

3 Comments

max_hernandez2715d ago

Snapped a head bolt on a Ford 302" sounds rough man. I remember when I tried to "feel" a thermostat housing bolt on my old Civic and ended up cracking the whole thing open, coolant everywhere.

the_drew14d ago

dude that "feel" method gets everyone at least once lol. what worked for me was hitting the bolt with some penetrating oil and letting it soak for like an hour before i even touched it again. then a breaker bar and just steady pressure no jerking.

the_olivia13d ago

oh man that thermostat housing bolt got me too! i used way too much force trying to "feel" it and the whole thing just gave way, plastic shards everywhere. never doing that again lol.