i use a torque wrench on all critical fasteners... for example, rod bolts, head bolts/nuts, etc..kkvslayer wrote:just wondering How many of you use a torque wrench,is it really needed,besides the chance of breaking bolts what are the downfalls of not using one,I bought one shortly after I got my 500 but have tried it only once,I tried it on my head nuts but they seemed so loose so I just tightened them more and havn't touched the wrench since
for non critical fasteners, case covers, for example i just go with my experiance.. but before you can do that, you have to know what tight really is.
tight is NOT as hard as you can tighten it.. and tight requires you to look at the tool in your hand and realise you have a 3/8" drive long handle ratchet and not a 1/4" shorty.... because you tighten that small bolt with the 1/4 and it feels tight.. you tighten that same fastener with the long 3/8" and it will bearly feel snug.. yet they're both tightened the same amount... thats when real expericnce helps.
best way to get that experiance is to get a torque wrench and get a feel for how tight it makes things... people tend to overtighten bolts, thinking tighter is better... on the contrary, bolts are and must remain elastic in order to remain tight...
i wont advocate using a torque wrench everywhere, thats just silly, but if the fastener is critical, i will not assemble without one.
hoofarted:
if you think that thoes were hard torque to yield bolts, try a balancer/crank bolt on a LS1.. bolt is about an inch across, and basiclly requires a 5 ft bar if you want to do the full angle spec.... its a pain, and its ALOT of torque.. all directly screwed into the crank. the headbolts and some other fasteners in the LS motors are torque to yield too...
