torquing main bearing caps

For many years, in my younger days, I rebuilt engines, though they were gasoling engines, without knowing what a torque wrench was. I was self taught. I tightened things until it felt about right. That's all ever did.

I finally found out about torque wrenches and now I use them, but I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if I only knew how much to torque and then how much to turn. The devil is in the details.

 

I thought about a torque multiplier. They're not easy to use either, especially upside down under an engine. You'd need to get the socket on the bolt, hold it up, then brace the torque multiplier, and then pull the torque wrench. That's three arms you would need, or a helper, (or two helpers).

 

I have a 1/2 in. drive torque wrench.

Half inch drive won't torque to 400 ft. lbs.

I need to find out how much torque with the half inch, then how many degrees to turn after that.

 

Actually, torquing by degrees is more accurate than torquing by ft. lbs.

The method I described is very accurate. Think about it for a moment. A certain number of degrees equals an exact distance, an exact amount of stretch. That does not hold true for ft. lbs. The only thing I lack is details. How much to torque and then how many degrees to turn.

And in this case 300 foot pounds is not enough. The torque spec is closer to 400.

But there is an alternative way of torquing the bolts. That is to torque them by degrees rather than by ft. lbs. It's accurate. All I need is the numbers.