Re: Bonehead mistake

How do you put 120 lb/ft on an 8mm screw that's threaded into aluminum without ripping something loose? (you might want to have a heli-coil set handy when you touch this thing next)

Brian opined in news:v%cQa.98548$ snipped-for-privacy@newsread2.prod.itd.earthlink.net:

LEAVE IT! Or redo the whole thing with new gasket. Change fluid at earliest.. say 20k.

If you back out and reset, it's going to leak because you overcompressed the gasket.

I cant believe you didnt break or strip out at least ONE!

You might want to toss that torque wrench. I bet it's not accurate, reads high.

I use the "forefinger around extension, last 3 fingers on ratchet shank" method for those type bolts.

I actually figured out before I put 120lbs on any of the bolts (10MM) that I was putting too much torque on the bolts (when I started to round the corners off one of the bolts), however, I had put well more than 120 lbs/in on them. I was trying to save some $$$ by not taking it in for service as this seemed like a fairly straightforward DIY project. So I guess you could say I learned a valuable lesson the hard way, and may have just literally screwed myself out of any money I saved ;-(

Thomas Moats opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

Well DUH! Missed again... the pan will never again seal properly at 120 in/lbs because of bolt-hole dimpling... a lesson I learned early with chevy valve covers and should'a mentioned.

You can TRY to peen them back but I dont recommend it because it never worked too well with valve covers and they only have 4 holes to get right.

Pans arent real expensive. And it's still not too bad to learn that lesson.

I'd still leave it until it leaks or 20,000 whichever comes first.