Watching people skip the torque wrench on aluminum heads makes me cringe

I saw a guy at the shop in Springfield just crank down a set of 5.3L Vortec heads with an impact gun last week. The gasket blew after 200 miles because the aluminum warped. I always use my Snap-on digital torque wrench and follow the factory pattern, starting at 22 ft-lbs in three steps. How many of you still see this happen regularly?

3 comments

3 Comments

adam73110d ago

Remember that old timer who used to rebuild small blocks with just a breaker bar and a grunt? He swore by the "good-n-tight" method for everything, even valve covers. Saw him snap a bolt clean off in a thermostat housing once, said it was just a bad bolt. Makes you wonder how many stripped threads got blamed on weak metal.

calebhall20d ago

My old man still torques his lawnmower blade bolts by feel. Honestly, I'm surprised our shed still has a roof.

terry_jones20d ago

Respect that. A lot of guys get a real feel for it after decades. My granddad could set points and tune a carb by ear, no gauges. That blade just needs to be good and tight, not a specific number. If the shed's still standing, his method is clearly working just fine.