PSA: I stopped zipping bolts tight with an impact and my repair jobs got better

I used to run an impact on everything, even for putting bolts back in. Thought it saved time, but then I stripped a turbo housing bolt on an old Powerstroke. Had to cut it out, wasted a whole afternoon. Now I only use the impact to take things off, for putting stuff back I go slow with a ratchet and torque wrench. Yeah, it feels like extra work at first, but I haven't had a stripped thread or broken bolt in months. My jobs are cleaner and I don't get those callbacks for leaks or rattles. It's a simple switch that just makes sense. Try it for a week, you'll see what I mean.

2 comments

2 Comments

sarah9503d ago

Oh wow, using an impact as a precision tool on a turbo housing bolt and being shocked it stripped. What a wild and totally unpredictable outcome. It's like using a sledgehammer to tap in a finishing nail and being surprised the wood split. My favorite part is how this needed to be a PSA, like you discovered some hidden secret instead of basic common sense.

barbara_coleman543d ago

Honestly, tool blunders like that are so common. Remember a guy at the auto shop using a breaker bar on a tiny bolt and snapping it right off. Lessons learned the hard way stick with you, though!