Heard a shop foreman say he never uses torque wrenches on head bolts

Guy at the local diesel shop told me he's been wrenching for 20 years and just tightens head bolts by feel. I've always followed the spec - I snapped a bolt on a 6.7 Powerstroke last year doing it by feel. Is he full of it or am I overthinking this?

2 comments

2 Comments

thompson.tyler10d ago

I snapped a head bolt on my 04 Duramax doing the same thing back in 2010. Thought I had the feel for it after a few years of wrenching and it cost me an engine block. That shop foreman might get away with it on some jobs but modern diesels are too picky for that old school stuff. I'll never skip a torque wrench again after having to Helicoil a block at 2am in a buddy's driveway.

susan3509d ago

Oh man, that "thought I had the feel for it" part hits close to home. I did something similar on my old 5.9 Cummins back in 2015 trying to eyeball the valve adjustment by feel. Figured after helping my uncle on his farm trucks for years I had a good sense for it. Ended up with a tick that sounded like a pissed off sewing machine for months before I finally took it to a shop. They said I had three valves way out of spec and one was barely closing. Had to eat crow and buy a feeler gauge set that week. Now I'm paranoid about everything and even check my lug nuts with a torque wrench twice.