I used to think you could eyeball a torque spec on a head gasket job

For years I'd just crank bolts down by feel, especially on older 12-valve Cummins engines. Then I had a job come back after 4 months with a coolant leak from a warped head. The shop owner pulled the service manual and showed me the spec was 110 ft-lbs, not the 'good and tight' I was doing. How many guys are skipping the torque wrench because they think they know the feel? Ever seen a motor fail from something simple like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_leo5d ago

Man, that's the truth. It's crazy how many "feel" guys are out there, and they're just grenading engines slowly. The worst part is when they over-torque stuff like spark plugs or oil drain plugs and strip the threads. That "good and tight" feeling costs the customer a whole new head or block. It's pure laziness, not skill.

ivan7745d ago

Yep, my uncle's shop sees that all the time.

drew_hart44d ago

The real cost is in the labor hours, not the parts. A stripped spark plug hole in an aluminum head might need a Time-Sert kit and three hours of a tech's time. That's where the bill gets huge, way more than the plug or coil.