The old way I torqued head bolts cost me a rebuild in Ohio

Used to just crank them with a breaker bar and hope for the best, back in my first shop near Cleveland. After a 466 blew a gasket on the interstate in 2019, I finally bought a proper torque wrench with an angle gauge and learned how to do the stretch method. Now I always do three passes and mark each bolt with a paint pen, anyone else switch from feel to real torque specs after a bad job?

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alice8914d ago

Wait, you torqued head bolts by feel with a BREAKER BAR? On a big block? That's like playing Russian roulette with an engine. I'm genuinely shocked it only cost you a rebuild and not a cracked block or a rod through the side. I had a buddy do that on a small block once and the bolt snapped clean off inside the deck, we had to drill it out and helicoil the whole thing. The stretch method with an angle gauge changed everything for me too, but I still double check the paint pen marks after a heat cycle.

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