Why does nobody mention drain plug torque specs on old trucks?

I spent 8 years wrenching on my 1996 F-150 and always snugged the oil pan plug by feel, never once checked the spec. Last month at a shop in Spokane, a kid handed me a torque wrench and said "you know that's 20 ft-lbs, right?" and I realized I'd been over-tightening every single time, which explains the stripped threads I chased three years ago. Anyone else run a whole career on feel before actually looking up the numbers?

1 comments

1 Comment

rowanharris16d ago

Snug is snug, torque wrenches are for engine builds not drain plugs.

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