44 inch pounds initial pass, 89 inch pounds final torque

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CopperNick

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So I took a few minutes this afternoon and went after the intake bolts on my orphan 5.3 onto which I had swapped an LS6 intake. From the multi-page list of torque specs for one of these motors I located the entry for the intake capscrews and, armed with my brand new, bought for the purpose, 1/4 drive torque wrench, proceeded to secure them according to the value listed. Two passes, spiral rotation, starting from the middle and working my way out from side to side, in sequence.

For those on the board who suggested the "calibrated wrist method" and after some consideration, I think that the wrist tight torque that i put on those screws at one point was a lot more than 89 inch pounds. Basically what was going on using the by hand method was that I would tighten up the screws, running the pattern to do so, but would return and find them willing to tighten up some more. This happened multiple times and was what caused me to finally back all the screws out to completely slack and go for the torque wrench. Since the screws are 10.9's they are a high value tensile strength item but the threads in the head are still aluminum after all. That makes them the week link.

While I do like the torque wrench that I acquired, I may still shell out for a Tekton. They seem to be generating a lot of positive and favorable comment by people who have used them and if nothing else it would be a good cross check against the one that I currently have which, by the buy, is NOT made in the P-ROC.



Nick
 
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Streetbu

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Didn't want to use the Sloppy Mechanics method of just sending them with a 1/4" Milwaukee impact?
 
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64nailhead

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IIRC I mentioned previously that I believe you are overthinking this. You can tell by feel easily. An if you torque them in the correct sequence, then it is almost impossible to muck them up.

I use a 1/4" ratchet on these and my wrist. Yes, I've pulled the intake many, many times. With the Felpro gasket torquing is extremely forgiving. I re-used factory gaskets the 1st 4 or 5 times I pulled the intake and it was much more challenging. Overtorquing by 5 ft/lbs won't hurt the intake. And even if it does, they are a dime a dozen.

The 1st torque of the torquing sequence is just to center the intake between the heads. After you have the knack of this, you can get centered without having a bolt started. That's why the sloppy 1/4" ratchet system works - he knows it's centered and he watched the factory isolator squoosh equally.

Again, don't overthink this.

My $.02
 
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CopperNick

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The 1/4 drive impact would have been a thought IF I had had one in my tool chest. Thing here is that my DeWalt baby impact is the only tool in that department that I have and it can decapitate bolts if I drop it into high range; it is a three speed.

Actually, I did use the sloppy 1/4 inch ratchet system, several times as it happened. Best method to get the locating shoulders on the manifold to sit down correctly into their matching pockets in the head. Just took it slow and easy to get the manifold and the heads to play nicely together as it was the first "date" for both of them (Snigger)

Once they got acquainted, I elected to back off the capscrews. Two reasons, the most important being that the shop was cold and the intake being non-metallic would be, if cold, more sensitive to being pushed around. Bit of a snicker here but it did come all the way from Kentucky and even inanimate objects can suffer culture shock. The second was that I was getting differing "feels" to the bolts as they got run down into position from bolt to bolt. The drag I was getting made me uncomfortable about whether I was getting an accurate feel for the bolt being the right kind of tight. That was why I went for the torque wrench, I'm past the physical point where I can slam a bolt into a threaded hole and get consistent feedback that it is tight.

As for overthinking it; Definitely. So I'm mechanically OC. Gotta be 'cause there is no budget for do-overs or take two's.



Nick
 
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ck80

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So I took a few minutes this afternoon and went after the intake bolts on my orphan 5.3 onto which I had swapped an LS6 intake. From the multi-page list of torque specs for one of these motors I located the entry for the intake capscrews and, armed with my brand new, bought for the purpose, 1/4 drive torque wrench, proceeded to secure them according to the value listed. Two passes, spiral rotation, starting from the middle and working my way out from side to side, in sequence.

For those on the board who suggested the "calibrated wrist method" and after some consideration, I think that the wrist tight torque that i put on those screws at one point was a lot more than 89 inch pounds. Basically what was going on using the by hand method was that I would tighten up the screws, running the pattern to do so, but would return and find them willing to tighten up some more. This happened multiple times and was what caused me to finally back all the screws out to completely slack and go for the torque wrench. Since the screws are 10.9's they are a high value tensile strength item but the threads in the head are still aluminum after all. That makes them the week link.

While I do like the torque wrench that I acquired, I may still shell out for a Tekton. They seem to be generating a lot of positive and favorable comment by people who have used them and if nothing else it would be a good cross check against the one that I currently have which, by the buy, is NOT made in the P-ROC.



Nick
SBC swap and send it. Cheaper than specialty tools for an LS... :LOL:
 
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CopperNick

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The Orphan 5.3 is just that, an orphan. Right now it is pretty much a learning tool so that I can acquire some familiarity with the LS version of small block reality. That is not to say that it will remain a bench baby; just no room for a project to toss it into.

As for an SBC, the current inventory I possess includes a 400 4-bolt main project , two 350 4 bolt main motors, one complete and one needing an overbore so possibly a 383 in its future, a couple of 305's including a center bolt vortec version, and a 262 which is NOT a V-6 but is, in fact, the shot glass sized piston version of the SBC that was offered as an option for the mid 70's Monzas. This motor was original to my first new car, a 75 Monza, retained when the car got sold, dropped into a 100,000 mile plus 78 Monte Carlo to replace a 231 V6 boat anchor that needed 50W just to show minimum oil pressure at idle, and got pulled and set aside, when the Monte literally attempted to do a channel job over the frame without any outside assistance. Kept the slush box and 10 from it as well as they both fit my 85. So.

As far as the special tools routine, most of what I already have works for the LS just fine. The 1/4 drive was a personal concession on my part as basically the old "two grunts and a groan, followed by a loud fart" school of torque generation and measurement has pretty much succumbed to old age and injury over time. It also filled a gap in my tool inventory in that I already have torque wrenches for my 3/8ths and 1/2 inch sets but had never gotten around to adding one to my 1/4 drives.

All this is not to say that every nut and bolt that I apply some attention to will get the torque wrench treatment. I am perfectly happy to go with a six point impact socket hung off the end of a 30" Johnson bar and wait for that self-satisfying "Ping" that says I snapped the bolt and all is well. ROTF/LMAO. My buddy across the street had a 50's Dodge P/u that he wanted to remove the suspension bolts from, and was having no joy in getting cooperation from them. Between Long Arm, and I, well..... they moved. Screeched and Screamed, but they moved. I can do the Rube Goldberg routine just as easily as anyone and have posted pictures of some the specialty tools that I have conjured up to meet my needs, but buy versus make can just as easily favor buy simply because it takes less time and the r/d involved is already done.



Nick
 
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CopperNick

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So i pulled the trigger last night and acquired a Tekton 1/4 drive torquie off E-Bay. Brand New, comes with a hard shell box, from right here in the Land of the Frozen Chosen, aka Canaduh. Priced under a C-note. They are available from US suppliers but by the time you factor in shipping and handling and exchange; no bargain to be had there. Supposed to show up here this week; depends on how energetic the mail system gets. Be interesting to see how the two stack up for precision. JUst me, being Me.................



Nick
 
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Texas82GP

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IIRC I mentioned previously that I believe you are overthinking this. You can tell by feel easily. An if you torque them in the correct sequence, then it is almost impossible to muck them up.

I use a 1/4" ratchet on these and my wrist. Yes, I've pulled the intake many, many times. With the Felpro gasket torquing is extremely forgiving. I re-used factory gaskets the 1st 4 or 5 times I pulled the intake and it was much more challenging. Overtorquing by 5 ft/lbs won't hurt the intake. And even if it does, they are a dime a dozen.

The 1st torque of the torquing sequence is just to center the intake between the heads. After you have the knack of this, you can get centered without having a bolt started. That's why the sloppy 1/4" ratchet system works - he knows it's centered and he watched the factory isolator squoosh equally.

Again, don't overthink this.

My $.02
This is so bad for my OCD Jim.
 
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