Old timer told me to stop fighting torque specs

Guy with 30 years on the line watched me wrestling a nut strip. Said "you're the mechanic, not the bolt". I slackened off the wrench and it came right out. Anybody else had a hard time learning when to ease up?

2 comments

2 Comments

harper_wells21d ago

you're the mechanic, not the bolt" wow that's actually kind of deep lol. I always thought being tougher on it was the way to prove you knew what you were doing but that guy just dropped some real wisdom on you. Gotta remember the tool works for you not the other way around.

faithbarnes21d ago

Man 72 with the seized axle nut would disagree with that poetic nonsense though. I tried being the mechanic and that bolt just laughed at my breaker bar. Took a torch and a 3 foot pipe to remind it who was boss. Sure in theory you're supposed to work smart not hard but sometimes the bolt just needs to know you mean business. I spent 45 minutes carefully trying to coax it out before I just went full caveman on it. Worked like a charm after that.