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Had a total facepalm moment about torque specs on a 6.7 Powerstroke

I was replacing the turbo oil feed line on a 2015 F-250 last week, a job I've done maybe a dozen times. Always just gave the banjo bolt a good 'snug' with a 3/8 ratchet, never used a torque wrench. This time, the new line started weeping after the test drive. My foreman walks by, sees me about to crank it down harder, and just says 'spec is 18 ft-lbs, you know that, right?' I'd been going way over that for years. Grabbed a torque wrench, set it, and it sealed up perfect. How many other 'feel' habits are actually wrong? Anyone else have a simple spec they ignored forever?
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3 Comments
hugo645
hugo6451mo agoTop Commenter
Oh man, that exact thing got me on a thermostat housing once (felt right, but it was like half the spec). I keep a little notebook in my toolbox now for the specs I use a lot, because my 'feel' is trash on small bolts. That 18 ft-lb one is super easy to blow past, it doesn't feel like much at all. Makes you wonder what else is just quietly over-torqued under the hood.
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nancyd85
nancyd851mo ago
Ugh, that's like my whole life with jar lids and light switches.
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elliot_allen65
elliot_allen6517d agoMost Upvoted
My 10mm socket collection agrees with @hugo645 on that.
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