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c/diesel-mechanics•betty_kelly9betty_kelly9•1mo ago

My old foreman told me to never use a standard impact on Cummins ISX head bolts

Honestly, I thought he was just being picky when he said that 10 years ago. He said to always use a torque-angle gauge and go slow, even if it takes an extra hour. Last month, I helped a buddy who used his big 1-inch gun to zip them all down, and we ended up with a coolant leak between cylinders 5 and 6. Took us two full days to pull it apart again and check for a warped head. Ngl, that old guy saved me a ton of grief. Anyone have a go-to brand for those angle gauges that holds up in the shop?
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3 Comments
wesleyb20
wesleyb201mo ago
Man, that coolant leak is a nightmare. So when your buddy used the impact, did he just run them all the way down in one shot, or did he try to do it in stages like you're supposed to? I'm trying to picture exactly how it went wrong.
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avery_jackson
avery_jackson1mo agoTop Commenter
Remember that time with the Duramax glow plugs? My cousin swore his rattle gun was fine... until he snapped one off flush. What a mess that was.
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victorh81
victorh811mo ago
Man that sounds rough. Had one snap on me last year and used a left hand drill bit to get it out. Came right out once it bit in.
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