Quote:
Originally Posted by timwilky
No substitute for "feel", never blindly apply a torque setting......
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Agree. Remember that quoted torques are usually for "lightly oiled" condition (near dry), if you apply anti-seize or grease etc you should reduce the torque used, a rough guide would be something like 20% less.
I would always recommend working up to a torque in steps. I always snug a fastener with a regular spanner/socket wrench first to get a feel for what it nips up like. If it feels normal then go to the torque wrench and start at maybe 70% of the quoted figure and check the feel, then up to 80% and so on.
If you are not particularly experienced, it's worth getting hold of a few nuts and bolts and try tightening them until they fail. This gives you a good idea of what it feels like when something is shearing or stripping.
"Tighten until it shears then back off 1/4 turn" is not a particularly useful method in real life.