Switched from impact wrenches to torque wrenches after a bad call on a Cummins ISX last spring

I used to just crank down head bolts with my impact and call it good on highway trucks. Then last March I had a ISX come back with a blown head gasket after only 6 months because I overtightened three bolts on the left bank. Now I use a digital torque wrench from CDI and follow the spec sheet step by step, even on smaller jobs. Has anyone else had a come back happen because of torque guesswork?

3 comments

3 Comments

emerym3618d ago

Did you end up losing money on that ISX?

william_harris19d ago

Careful with those CDI digitals. They're good tools but the batteries die fast in cold weather. Had mine read 50 foot pounds low once on a frosty morning. Just something to watch for.

miles_burns18d ago

Fifty foot pounds low? That's a massive swing, like that's way more than I would ever expect from just a cold battery. I've used those CDI digitals plenty and seen them drift a little in the cold, but never a full fifty foot pounds off. That's honestly kind of terrifying if you're relying on that for something critical.