Date:         Sun, 7 Nov 2004 19:28:59 +0000
Reply-To:     Chris DeLong <green536@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris DeLong <green536@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Torque wrench use
Comments: To: hfinn@INGRATES.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

What he said. After many years of learning and using a torque wrench for
things that I no longer use the tool for have basically created the human
torque wrench. Eventually the pressure from using the same ratchet or wrench
give you a feel for what torque is needed. Head bolts and the like I still
use the torque wrench for. If you have the click style unit; be sure to run
it down to its lowest setting before putting it away. If you do not do this,
you can put the tool out of calibration.

On only one occasion have I not used a torque wrench for a cylinder head. It
was on my own car and I had no access to the tool. The car was parked in
downtown Seattle and I rode my bike to the car with parts in my backpack. I
ended up doing a headgasket on the side fo the road in a parking spot that
was timed parking. Many times during the job the meter maid came by to chalk
the tires and I would consequently wipe the chalk off. Not once did the lady
ask what the hell I was doing with the hood up on the car and various engine
components on the sidewalk. I got some pretty strange looks from people
walking by in suits and the like. After it was all said and done, the car
fired up and ran fine all the way home. I removed the head again after I got
home to put a better unit on. After all 30$ in gaskets was alot cheaper than
paying fro a tow.



Chris DeLong
Fine Tuning
206.522.5503
www.finetuningperformance.com
Seattle, WA USA




>From: jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
>Reply-To: jbange <hfinn@INGRATES.NET>
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>Subject: Re: Torque wrench use
>Date: Sun, 7 Nov 2004 10:54:50 -0800
>
>At 08:39 AM 11/7/2004, you wrote:
>>  I am a great believer in torquing to
>>spec, but I've observed many situations, including a few larger shops,
>>where a torque wrench is the exception rather than the rule.  Yes, I do
>>see
>>torque wrenchs on cylinder head bolts, but not often elsewhere.
>
>My brother in law is a mechanic and he hardly even uses a torque wrench.
>Heads and front end, he uses one, but everything else is by feel. He says
>he can usually get within a ft-lb or so of the spec by feel just because
>he's been doing it so long. He says he could probably do the head bolts by
>feel too, but he feels more comfortable with the torque wrench there. Like
>he said, an unevenly torqued thermostat housing is no big deal. An unevenly
>torqued head can turn into an Expensive Problem.
>
>John Bange
>'90 Vanagon "Geldsauger"

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