I torque everything that has a specification. I find that even after decades I tend to over tighten smaller fasteners (< 3/8" or so) and under tighten larger fasteners (> 3/8" or so). I've gone to grade 8 on any 1/4" bolt as I pop the stock fasteners like candy. Intake gasket end rails on a BB as one example. The only notable exception is the oil pan. That I use gasket compression to know when to stop.

About the same here plus I use a torque wrench on the air cleaner wing nut, hose clamps, and trim screws.

45 years ago couldn’t keep oil pan bolts from coming lose or falling out on the race car, on a whim I looked in a service manual, used the torque and never came lose again. Long story short I torque EVERYTHING I can get to at factory spec.

About the same here plus I use a torque wrench on the air cleaner wing nut, hose clamps, and trim screws.

I find a correlation between the lack of using a torque wrench and leaky valve covers and oil pans.

Quite the opposite for me. They are the only ones I have found that needed hand tightening instead of a torque wrench. All seemed to be too loose.

I used to have trouble with transmission pans. After I found we had an inch pound wrench I used the spec, typically 12 in lbs, found it took several rounds to get them all tight at once, no more leaks.

Same here, oil pans and valve covers too.

Same here, oil pans and valve covers too.

Keep a “fisherman’s scale” in your tool box and every wrench becomes a torque wrench.

Anyone that thinks they can tell how tight something is torqued "by hand" is fooling themselves.

Sometime I'll tell the story about replacing the casting plug in the end of a 383 head...with the engine in the car....on the end that faces the firewall...without removing the head.

Anyone that thinks they can tell how tight something is torqued "by hand" is fooling themselves.

I'm not so sure that applies to all people. When I was going to college I worked part time at the local Chrysler dealer. One thing I did was new car pre-delivery preparation (dealer prep). One of the items on the checklist was to make sure the front wheel bearings were adjusted properly, So I was working on a new car and had the torque wrench out adjusting the front wheel bearings as per the FSM procedure. The senior mechanic walked over and asked me what I was doing. Told him, he laughed that you could do that by hand, didn't need a torque wrench. This is 1974 and I'm young, dumb, and headstrong so I proceed to tell him it can't be done. Now this is a guy that has worked on Mopars since 1947 and has done it all. So it ended up in a challenge. I'd do it by the book and he'd do it his way and we'd compare. So I set one side and make a small dimple on the nut so you could tell position. Loosened it up and he had a go at it (I covered the dimple with a bit of grease) and......he ended up in EXACTLY the same spot. I never questioned him again and over the next year I learned a lot from that old fart. Passed away about 20 years go. Great loss of talent. Sometime I'll tell the story about replacing the casting plug in the end of a 383 head...with the engine in the car....on the end that faces the firewall...without removing the head.

I'm about to do that on a 440 Chrysler 300. My plan was a plumbing bar clamp. I would be very interested in his way.

Maybe you need to go back and reread how to set front wheel bearing preload. Having just converted my 51 from the original style setup to the later style, such as used in 74, there is no torque on the bearings when you are done.

Maybe you need to go back and reread how to set front wheel bearing preload. Having just converted my 51 from the original style setup to the later style, such as used in 74, there is no torque on the bearings when you are done.

Yes, thanks, a couple of dimensions will save me some time.
Do the two tabs in front locate in the k frame?

Thanks again, Joe

Yes, thanks, a couple of dimensions will save me some time.
Do the two tabs in front locate in the k frame?

Thanks again, Joe

I I'd do it by the book and he'd do it his way and we'd compare. So I set one side and make a small dimple on the nut so you could tell position. Loosened it up and he had a go at it (I covered the dimple with a bit of grease) and......he ended up in EXACTLY the same spot. I never questioned him again .