this post was submitted on 17 May 2026
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The last mechanic I went to torqued these to hell...what are the chances he also tightened my spark plugs this much?

Never again...my other mechanic never overtorqued things this much.

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[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 32 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Maybe a guy with an air tool or battery impact driver that has no torque settings.

Some are under the impression that saving 10 seconds on tightening a bolt is great, but they spend 10 minutes looking for the air hose.

I always do small stuff, and even lugnut tightening with a torque wrench. Because damaging a fastener sucks, but ruining the thread in a mating part is diasterous.

[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

torque wrench

I love those. They give the feel of having it done right.

Got three, each a different range but they overlap.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I just got one EXACTLY to not overtorque things...guess I should have made sure that this mechanic I went to had one before I got one lol...

[–] papalonian@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

forgotten somewhere behind a pile of beer, probably set to the max torque so the spring is destroyed anyway

[–] papalonian@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Even better, it's set to "loosen", and it's sitting right next to a cheater bar.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 month ago
[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago

Yeah, a friend does car work but is an air gun and impact driver type. He broke about a 1 inch bolt that was holding some torsion suspension to the frame.

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Bahahaha I know a guy who tried to save time by using an impact to tighten his oil pan bolts. All because he had the impact on hand and didn’t want to “waste time”.

So, long story short, he was looking for a new vehicle the next day.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago
[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How do you go from needing a new oil pan to needing a new car tho, lol

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Bolt broke off in the engine block. He mangled it trying to get the broken bolt out.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Ohh... Bolt, not cap...

Jesus christ.

Glad I learned my lesson to just hand it to someone else when I fuck it up lol

[–] ininewcrow@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I had to learn ... and I think most sensible people learn ... the hard way.

I've broken several bolts over the years and now I torque wrench everything down to the 5lbf if I have to. It's a real pain, especially if you start owning things that are 10, 20, 30 years old. The combination of aged metal that may have become weaker over time and use as well as the complication of finding the right part again (or a matching part) is just a huge headache.

I'd rather look like an uptight idiot torquing a tiny bolt than in being that guy looking for a bolt that either doesn't exist anymore or is buried in a wrecking yard somewhere far away.

[–] BCsven@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago

We need to start outdoor photos of people holding their torque wrenches, being more popular than pictures of guys holding their guns.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 month ago

yea, probably... I went to an electrician and he gets mechanic work done somewhere else. I bet they did it.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 25 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I had a guy putting tires on one of our heavy trucks and I went out in the yard to see how he was making out just as I hear buppa-buppa-buppa-fuck!

He's broken off a 7/8" wheel stud with his fucking 1" air gun, putting the over-nut on and ugga-duggaing the fuck out of it for some goddamn reason. Shrugs his shoulders and tells me it must have been broken already (it wasn't, break was shiny all the way through). He's got another one broken off on the ground beside him. Asks me if it's ok with 8 out of 10 (on duallies, ffs). I send him home and take the drums off and pound out the studs.

It's too damn often where I spend just as much time fixing mechanic's fuckups as I would have to do it myself. Had a Deere mechanic do some insurance-funded work on a combine I blew up so we'd get warranty, I swear he didn't own a torque wrench. Had to tear it down and re-torque nearly every bolt.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 month ago

I hate it when supposed professionals don't even have DYI'er tools and / or knowledge...

[–] Mpatch@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Lool deere guys are one of the worst. Each time they send me their kid with a laptop who shits the bed because he actually has to turn a wrench. Or the laptop won't tell him what ecm to replace before he replaces the entire wire harnesses the next day because it didn't fix it. Fuck they look at me like I'm a retard when I try to tell these guys about hydraulic injection. "They never told us about that".... last time I told them, if your going to send me your fucking apprentices m, I'm going to write you an invoice for my time wasted. Had one deere guy tell me. "They don't let us do any welding repairs, because if it can be fixed by welding then it's a part they can't sell."

It seems like the only job requirements for a deere guy is show up and be able fog a mirror.

[–] mbp@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I moved to ag country recently and all I know is fuck Deere. Thank you for confirming my hate towards them

[–] Mpatch@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Brother, I have delt with many many of them. Deere, Cat, doosan/bobcat , libbehr, sennebogen. Case, jcb, genie, They all absofukingloutley suck. Particularly in north America it's fucking pathetic. They shown up in their shiny ass service trucks. Come out with their ego like get out the way I'm a professional you have no business touching this because you are some somenfuckinn shmoe. Then i have spend my entire fucking day babysitting the ignorant punk. To get a bulshit diagnosis that's completely wrong because the guy doesn't even know how to read the damn service information to get it right.

Budy, I kid you not. I had to teach one guy how to use his damn multimeter properly to check continuity on a wire.

If you have a piece of equipment that is internationally made. Like Europe or aisia. Call them instead of the local dealer. I've gotten better and faster results from a 10 min phone call than 8hr day with a local.

Hell I only ever call those dealer guys when it's something I simply can't do, like injector cut out tests or I just don't have time for it and I regret it the second I see the guy roll up.

Not long ago. I had a cat guy come, needed to verify hui pump on a 3126b. Yes it's the pump. I give him okay to swap for a new one. I had one in a spare parts machine with a rebuild motor. I pull out the spare by the time i finish the guy is still trying to get the lines off. Day later after he put it in, the damn thing is falling out oil everywhere. Fuck it's goddam - 20c and a snow storm and we need the machine next morning.

[–] mbp@slrpnk.net 2 points 1 month ago

Lmao exactly aligns with the stories from the farmers at my pub. Got a good chuckle out of the anecdote about needing it before a snow storm and the techy being slow.

Goes to show what book smarts with no street smarts will get ya. That multimeter is scary if it's your first time using it!

[–] ikidd@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago

Unless it involves warranty on something expensive, we just do it ourselves and if we need a CANbus address programmed in, I call them out to do that for the minimum charge. If I do get them to do something, I check it after pretty closely.

Had a guy out to install a turbo on our 7630; he hadn't tightened the collar for the oil supply, if you can believe it. I did talk to the service manager about that one, that was pretty egregious. Like really, on a turbo, keeping that oil bearing pressured is probably the only critical thing to watch for.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 13 points 1 month ago

The kind of mechanic who only needs one wrench: the impact wrench.

[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago (5 children)

I hate that. Here in sweden nearly every shop does that to the wheel bolts. Pneumatic impact wrench at max. 1st thing home is doing it right. Otherwise I have no chanse whatsoever if I run a flat. I have to use a 1 meter (over 3 foot) long bar to do that, and it still takes much effort. I finaly found a decent mechanic with some sense.

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have to use a 1 meter (over 3 foot) long bar to do that, and it still takes much effort.

I got myself one of these, and now that's easy. Definitely one of my favorite tools. Even if I don't end up using it all that often, it saves so much effort and work when I do need it.

Though you'd probably want a 240v version in Sweden.

[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (5 children)

Considered one of those a few times. I have an air wench from stanley. The only tool I regretted buying. Could not even dent butter on a warm sunny day (/s). Bought an wider hose, modded the wrench.... much better but still not good.

Maybe time to go electric then ......

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[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 month ago

jesus christ, I hate how stupid people are

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

I had a wheel rebalanced at a tire shop chain. I saw the kid who wasn't trained to know better use an impact gun to put the wheel back on. Fast forward to fall I come to change to my winter tires and three of the five wheel nuts won't go back on for that corner.

Fortunately the local dealership had some in stock but next time I need something done in a shop like that I'm bringing them the wheel detached from my car.

[–] redlemace@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

bringing them the wheel detached from my car

I do that whenever I can. It's a bit more work, but saves the irritation (although anger is probably closer). for things can get damaged with over tightening. But some jobs they take off one or more wheels and if it's not the shop in my town, I go over the wheel bolts.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Costco only uses torque wrenches, and you have to come back after a day to get torque checked again.

[–] BehindetheClouds@reddthat.com 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't think it's just Sweden. I think all mechanic shops do it, they're just too lazy. They do the same shit here.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

Tighten most lugs above 100ft pounds and they will strip.

[–] BehindetheClouds@reddthat.com 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

One things for sure, fixing this won't be dull lol

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Hahaha

I suspect that once the valve cover is off, OP is going to find that bolt is seized in there.

And trying to get it out may strip the threads out of the aluminum.

BTDT

[–] yaroto98@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Had an oil drain plug bolt overtightened so hard once I stripped that sucker getting it out so bad I had to buy a replacement. The cost of just quick taking it in because I didn't have the time cost me an extra $20. Never again.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 month ago (4 children)

what are you even supposed to do in this case? Lots of WD-40 and tap with a hammer lightly?

[–] OwOarchist@pawb.social 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

There are two possible solutions for fucked-up oil drainplug threads:

A) Drill the hole out slightly larger, tap new threads into it, and install a slightly larger drain plug.

B) Replace the oil pan entirely.

Option A isn't always possible, especially if the oil pan is curvy, very thin, or made of plastic. And either option requires removing the drain pan from the vehicle and reinstalling one with a new gasket. (You don't want metal shavings getting into the engine when you're drilling and tapping.)

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You can drill and tap or helicoil in place, just flush the pan with a liter of oil.

[–] Mpatch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

What the hell are filters for then? Rust proofing the frame and engine bay?

[–] GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If you end up rounding off the head there are a few options. They make special sockets that can grab onto a rounded off bolt. You can try to hammer on a slightly smaller socket. You could drill the head off of the bolt and use an extractor to pull the remnants out, but you risk breaking off the extractor and then you're in a real pickle. You could also weld a nut onto the bolt, but not recommended with a full oil pan. You can also take a hammer and chisel and try to get the bolt to turn using it at an angle, not recommended if you have an aluminum oil pan. You could also just buy an oil extractor and pull the oil through the dipstick tube.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 month ago

I don't have any of these issues because I change the oil in all my cars and can read a service manual.

[–] yaroto98@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

In my case I had rounded off the bolt head in a few spots with an open ended wrench after a few tries not realizing it was going to be stubborn. Had a hard time getting the correct sized close ended wrench on with the warped sides. Went up a size by switching to metric and getting a decently good grip. That stripped it further, but warped the head even more so I was able to get the right sized closed wrench on it with a few "gentle" taps of a hammer. It juuuuuuust barely came off. The head was mutilated to hell.

I've seen people use a grinder to grind down the sides of the head and use a smaller wrench to try again. Or cut a plus in the head and try a screwdriver. But that's assuming the head hasn't popped off yet.

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Impact driver, but the bolt could snap.

Actual oil pan bolt torque is lower than people think, but a fresh crush washer should be used every time.

Now Fords use plastic oil pans, which should be fun with those gorillas.

[–] 87Six@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Thank got almost nothing is plastic in this car.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 1 points 1 month ago

To be fair, those bolts suck in general.

Steel bolts going into aluminum have some kind of corrosion that makes them seize more often. Stainless bolts reduces this.

Then fucking Allen/hex head - damn things strip out if you look at them funny.

I'm a big fan of never seize or blue loctite with bolts like these. Both help prevent seizing.

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