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Unpopular opinion: I stopped using a torque wrench on aluminum valve covers and it actually worked better
I was doing a valve cover gasket job on a 2015 Honda Civic last week (you know, the one with the thin aluminum cover). I grabbed my trusty torque wrench and set it to the spec in the book, which was 7 ft-lbs. I did the star pattern, went slow, and felt good about it. Two days later, the customer came back with a leak. I pulled it apart and found the gasket had pinched weirdly in one corner. Out of frustration, I just put it back on by hand, going by feel with a regular 3/8 ratchet, just until it was snug. That was three months ago, and the car hasn't leaked a drop since. I think the torque wrench was actually over-tightening on the soft metal, even at the right setting. Has anyone else had a similar thing happen with low-torque aluminum parts?
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william_taylor6mo ago
Yeah, the part about the gasket doing the sealing and not the bolt really hits home. I used to be a stickler for the torque spec on everything, no questions asked. But after fighting a leak on an old Toyota cover, I tried it by feel like @josephs49 said, just a small ratchet and stopping when it got firm. It sealed perfect. That soft aluminum just squirms away from a click wrench, even when it's set right. You end up fighting the tool instead of listening to the part.
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josephs497mo ago
Ever notice how a torque wrench can feel like it's still turning after the click on something that soft? Those thin Honda covers will warp if you look at them wrong. I use a small quarter inch drive ratchet and just get it firm, not tight. The gasket does the sealing, not the bolt.
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