<VV> Torque Spec

[Tony Underwood]

At 03:33 PM 10/9/2009, Robert Marlow wrote:
>Bruce Schug wrote:
>
> > When I was in high school I broke a head stud on a friends flathead
> > over torquing it. I've used a torque wrench on anything important
> > since then.
> >
> > I think the problem you can run into on wheel lugs is that uneven
> > torque can distort parts like rotors and drums.
> >
> > Have you actually built an engine without a torque wrench, Bob?


In my teens I used to hang out around a garage a block away, on the 
way to the corner grocer's.   Two guys ran it, both gray.   I watched 
them time and again putting engines together after ring&bearing 
overhauls or valve jobs or whatever and never saw a torque 
wrench.   I had to ask...

Answer was:


"I just tighten stuff to where it feels about right."



He then began spouting off torque specs for various fasteners likely 
to be found in an engine while he was assembling a 389 Pontiac 
engine, mumbling things like "grade-8" and "fine-thread" and "studs 
instead of capscrews" which at the time wasn't really making that 
much of an impression but later in reflection it's a different story.


"After 30 years of doing this I got a pretty good idea what 50 
footprints feels like."

Then he smiled that shit-eating grin that old guys shoot at kids...



I asked the other guy one time if they ever had any of their "torqued 
by braille" engines come back on them and he said "Not yet".

"How long have you been doing it like that?"         "Since I first 
started work as a mechanic."     He looked like he was about 60.

A couple years later I left town to wear OD Green and learn how to 
avoid stepping on land mines.     Came back home after a few more 
years and they were still there... first thing I saw when I went past 
that same bay was a Vega engine block getting honed which caught my 
attention.    First time I'd seen siamesed cylinders in a 
block.    Same as before, no torque wrench in sight...


"Why does it need rings after only a couple years?"

"Cuz the damned fools at GM didn't sleeve the block."


I nodded in agreement, having picked up on a couple things while 
wearing Green on a daily basis.    Made more small talk for a while, 
halfway expecting a torque wrench to appear for the rods but it never did.

I didn't even ask...    but I bet that engine didn't come back again 
either, not for lack of fastener security.    ;)    Those old men 
were pretty good.





tony..           not that good, has 3 torque wrenches