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Engine mount bolt taught me to respect torque specs
Was on a Piper Cherokee annual. Usually just cranked bolts tight by hand. One shook loose during engine test, rattled bad. Now I follow the manual and use a torque wrench, no question.
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jesse_young279d ago
Experience helps but specs exist for a reason. Overtightening a cylinder head can warp it, and a spark plug thread is easy to strip. The manual accounts for stuff like thread lock or heat cycles. Your feel is good for many things, but critical engine parts are not the place to guess.
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piper55810d ago
So a bolt comes loose and now you swear by torque wrenches? Not convinced. Had similar scares in my work, but you adjust. Torque specs are guidelines, not gospel. If the manual says so, fine, but over-torquing can cause problems too. Sometimes feel and experience tell you more than a number. Just saying, don't let one bad moment make you rigid.
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