My stubborn streak with head bolts ended after one costly mistake

I always thought I could judge torque by hand, you know? Like, after twenty years, my arm was calibrated or something. Then I had this 6.7 Powerstroke come back with a coolant leak because I overtightened two bolts. Had to eat the cost of a new gasket and my time. Now, I pull out the torque wrench for every single head bolt, no exceptions. It adds maybe ten minutes to the job, but it's worth it to sleep at night. Trust me, just use the darn wrench.

4 comments

4 Comments

grace9221mo ago

Hah, I used to think my 'feel' was good enough until I cracked a bolt on my bike. Now I'm all about the torque wrench, even if it feels like overkill. Who knew being careful could save so much hassle?

wendysanchez1mo ago

Honestly, that whole thing reminds me of when I over-tightened the lug nuts on my car. It stripped the threads and cost me a ton to fix last spring. Now I'm paranoid about using the right tools for everything.

taylor121mo agoTop Commenter

So we all just out here breaking stuff before learning basic tools? Welcome to the "oops I broke it" club, membership is free but the repairs aren't.

daniel_green421mo ago

@wendysanchez's lug nut story made me buy a torque wrench. Best twenty bucks I ever spent.