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Old 04-05-2010, 04:46 PM
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patrickt patrickt is offline
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Cobra Make, Engine: ERA #732, 428FE (447 CID), TKO600, Solid Flat Tappet Cam, Tons of Aluminum
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Excaliber View Post
I do agree with Chas on the torque aspect, with a swivel and due to the angles all but impossible to get an accurate reading. In fact I'd trust my "feel" with a wrench of some kind over the torque wrench in this case. But it's a darn good trick to check for loose bolts and if no time allows for pulling the trans right then, it's better to have them somewhat tight than leave them loose.
Believe me, I was extra careful that I didn't drop the socket down in the bellhousing. But if I did, I think I could retrieve it with one of those little flexible "claw" type grabbers. I've dropped stuff down engines before, and created a tremendous amount of unnecessary work for myself -- it makes you want to break down and cry. The angle on the swivel wasn't much, but it wasn't a straight shot either. It couldn't have accounted for more than a pound or two. It sure was easier than pulling the seats, tunnel, u-joint, drive shaft, transmission, and bellhousing just to find... oh yeah, they're all tight. And now that I think about it, if I had snapped off the head of one of those ARP PP bolts from gently torquing them through the fork hole, then that would have warranted a complete removal of everything for a thorough inspection.
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