Old timer at the hangar told me to back off torque on oil filter housings

At a regional line station in Boise last spring, a retired Delta mechanic named Walt told me to only hand-tighten those big Continental housings with a palm on the wrench. He said a torque wrench would strip the threads every time, and sure enough I've seen three guys blow out the same part using specs from the manual since then. Has anyone else had an old hand give you advice that flew in the face of the official procedure but ended up saving you a headache?

3 comments

3 Comments

barbaraw1621d ago

My uncle the diesel mechanic swore by starter fluid on frozen bolts, but I still follow the manual for oil changes on my Ford.

amyh2121d ago

My uncle swore by PB Blaster over starter fluid every time, and Ive seen that stuff eat through threads on a 7.3 Powerstroke before. Following the manual is smart for oil, but for frozen bolts I wouldnt trust ether near my Ford.

margaretshah17d ago

Heard from a YouTuber who used to work piston twins that those big Continental filters actually seal better when they're just snug, something about the gasket crushing right with the right feel instead of being torqued flat.