Overheard a guy at the parts counter say torque wrenches are just for hobbyists

Was picking up some cotter pins today and this old timer next to me tells the clerk he's been turning wrenches for 30 years and never bought a torque wrench. Said he can feel when it's tight enough. Made me wonder how many stripped bolts and cracked housings that approach has caused. Has anyone actually tested the difference between hand-tight and a proper torque spec on something critical like a cylinder head?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly3385h ago

Used to think the same way honestly. Watched my dad rebuild a small block Chevy in the garage with nothing but a breaker bar and a prayer. Then I helped a buddy torque down his LS heads and we checked his hand tight bolts. Seven out of twelve were over 10 foot pounds off spec. Two were actually loose. Changed my whole view on it.

ellis.felix2h ago

That's fair, but I've torqued plenty of bolts to spec and still had failures from bad threads or gasket seating. In my experience, a steady hand and feel still matter more than the number on the wrench.