torque wrench concern

[camoweasel]

Today we were reassembling my 350X engine with a new top end rebuild and ported head. We were using a torque wrench to tighten all the nuts and bolts as the engine was pieced together BUT when it came to tightening down the 4 bolts of the rocker cover that hold the cam journals, I think we may have been getting false readings. We set the limit to 12 foot lbs and for some reason, it just seemed like it kept getting tighter and tighter without clicking? So we tested the wrench on some the other rocker bolts which seemed fine at 9 foot lbs. Why would it seem like the bolts holding in the cam journals are being torqued to much? I'm afraid of ruining the journals.

[MTS]

...Could just be worn out..or to big for the application... i use a 3/8th's one at smallest...and for nothing under 20 ftlbs..the rest by hand. for 9 ftlbs that should be in the 1/4 inch range...General rule of thumb Torque setting should fall in the middle range of the wrench...for the best result...when it comes to clickers...or use a digital one..or an old school Needle/Dial one..

[NINJA]

Good advice MTS. The old needle/dial wrenches never fail, even after hitting the floor. Yes, they are a PITA, but a reliable PITA.

[Dirtcrasher]

Here's the thing, those cam bolts go deep in the head; They are not like the typical 6mm/8mm headed rocker cover bolts. They are long and thus "twist" to some extent while torquing. The other thing is, always oil/grease all bolts and especially under the head. You need a true torque value, not a dry steel on aluminum bolt as it will bind rather than reaching it's value without friction. Make sense??

In addition, those 6mm cam bolts (with the 10mm head) I have seen stripped often but thats most likely to guys not torquing them and just tightening them down til they "feel" good.

I was asked yesterday "why is there no valve cover gasket?" which I replied "half of the cam journal is in the head, half in the valve cover and it would be a crap-shoot to incorporate that difference in the diameter and spec of a circle that are fairly critical" Hence the reason only a thin layer of 3bond is used in that valve cover application.

I've even had some meatheads try to cut a gasket for that valve cover and now there's another .005 -.008 TOO large of an opening present and the cam tolerance is lost along with where the oil is "suppose" to go.

Grease or oil the threads and under the bolt head and use a quality "click type" torque wrench rather than the old wand type.

NEVER use form-a-gasket/silicone in a Yamabond/3bond/Hondabond application. It should look just like factory when done, not like the thin outside edge of an "over easy" egg........

Thats all I've got!

[fabiodriven]

I use the old dial type. I was told when I was young that they are much more accurate than the "click" type, so I just stuck with that kind.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

I use the old dial type. I was told when I was young that they are much more accurate than the "click" type, so I just stuck with that kind.



Wow! I always thought it was the other way around...very interesting. Guess ill have to change my school o fthought on that one.....I guess if the clicker type should be calibrated periodically to mantain accuracy it stands to reason it may not be as accurate as the old needle style.