Best to torque bolts dry or oiled?

[turbojonn]

Case bolts, head bolts, etc. Thanks in advance.

[Brendan W]

I wouldn't worry about a drop of oil. I'm one of the Philistines who uses antiseize on car wheelnuts.
Clean them, start by hand, snug up gently and finish off with the torque machine. If something feels wrong back off. Too many get target fixated on the 'click' even when swarf is falling on the floor.
The whole wet dry thing rages over the web. In reality fasteners vary quite a bit even new and what is the date on the last calibration cert for your torque wrench ?
Torque is a bit overspecified - brake bleed nipples, thermostat housings. Soon they won't let me leave the house unless the tension in my shoelaces conforms to ......yada yada.
At the risk of being sent to the stake - I would trust a pro mechanic's feel before a torque wrench. I'm no pro so it gets used for important stuff.

[850GT_Rider]

Howdy Brendan from a fellow Philistine!

Ever watch the so-called "Pros" in a garage, especially with lug nuts? Take 'em off dirty, put 'em on dirty, hit 'em with the air impact wrench until they quit moving, then keep the trigger pulled for at least another 5 seconds. Umm yeah - try and get THOSE off, by the side of the road, in the rain, at night, with the lousy little combination lug wrench & jack handle.....
I use anti-sneeze as well, on almost every fastener of any importance, like those exposed directly to the weather, and any that are dis-similar metals, such as steel or stainless bolts into aluminum engine cases, or spark plugs. Got a couple of cans of Hi-temperature Pure Nickel anti-seize, 'borrowed' from work. Great stuff, not corrosive to aluminum. Once treated with that, I've never had an exhaust bolt or spark plug that froze up.
Like you said, just have to be careful and not fixate on "x" amount of torque, especially when dealing with aluminum. Even on cars, it's easy to strip out spark plug threads....

[Joe Guilbeau]

Permatex Copper Anti-Seize Lubricant (<1800-deg F) ought to do just fine, and can be found at most parts houses locally. Probably back off torque values just a bit if threads are chased and threads lubed.

[Grimly]

Torque specs for bolts/nuts assume a very light oiled coating on them. Even at that, if the torque setting is really important, the maker will tell you if it's supposed to be dry or well-oiled and with what.
By lightly oiled, I mean smear a little bit of oil on and wipe it off, that amount. Not dripping with it or bone dry.
What you mustn't do it lube it up and torque it down - you will likely stretch the stud and/or strip the thread in the alloy. Over-oiled threads will tighten by as much as 50% over-torque before the clicker goes off.
It's imprecise, but you'll get it.

[turbojonn]

Thanks for the replies. This is exactly what I was looking for.

[blowerbike]

i always just use a little of my belray moly lube.
got to watch with thin stuff...if it's going into a bottom hole it can hydraulic and crack.

[Brendan W]

Howdy Brendan from a fellow Philistine!

Ever watch the so-called "Pros" in a garage, especially with lug nuts? Take 'em off dirty, put 'em on dirty, hit 'em with the air impact wrench until they quit moving, then keep the trigger pulled for at least another 5 seconds. Umm yeah - try and get THOSE off, by the side of the road, in the rain, at night, with the lousy little combination lug wrench & jack handle.....
I use anti-sneeze as well, on almost every fastener of any importance, like those exposed directly to the weather, and any that are dis-similar metals, such as steel or stainless bolts into aluminum engine cases, or spark plugs. Got a couple of cans of Hi-temperature Pure Nickel anti-seize, 'borrowed' from work. Great stuff, not corrosive to aluminum. Once treated with that, I've never had an exhaust bolt or spark plug that froze up.
Like you said, just have to be careful and not fixate on "x" amount of torque, especially when dealing with aluminum. Even on cars, it's easy to strip out spark plug threads....

Hi Dale, the less said about tyre shop tightening the better. I shattered two 19mm sockets with three foot extension bars trying to reset the wheelnuts on the V70 last year. Many have found that having a spare tyre is useless if the nuts don't come off and a flat turns into a full blown breakdown. As for spark plugs I have discovered that using a foot of garden hose is good for getting them started especially deep recessed ones - it gives more control and feel and I defy anyone to crossthread a spark plug with a hose.

[mmattockx]

Ever watch the so-called "Pros" in a garage, especially with lug nuts? Take 'em off dirty, put 'em on dirty, hit 'em with the air impact wrench until they quit moving, then keep the trigger pulled for at least another 5 seconds.

I have seen a fair number of wheel studs that failed due to over torquing by those same "pros".


Mark

[Fjbj40]

They are not "pros", they are hacks! Usually the lowest quality mechanics or not even basic trained mechanics.

Once in a blue moon you will find a good one and then they only last awhile because their standards are to high for the shop owner.

I have seen a fair number of wheel studs that failed due to over torquing by those same "pros".


Mark

[Brendan W]

I have seen a fair number of wheel studs that failed due to over torquing by those same "pros".


Mark

That's something I am surprised I have not seen. When you are up at 300Nm trying to open something that was supposed to be at 140 !

[Grimly]

That's something I am surprised I have not seen. When you are up at 300Nm trying to open something that was supposed to be at 140 !

I've noticed my local tyre emporium have taken to pneumo-tightening then torque-barring to finish on every wheel nut, for exactly liability reasons. Gawdnose how many roadside strandings or even accidents were caused by over-tightened nuts, through simple inability to get them off or loss of a wheel.

[Roger P.]

i always just use a little of my belray moly lube.
got to watch with thin stuff...if it's going into a bottom hole it can hydraulic and crack.

I did exactly that with a blind 1/2" hole in a compressor block once.

[Brendan W]

I've noticed my local tyre emporium have taken to pneumo-tightening then torque-barring to finish on every wheel nut, for exactly liability reasons. Gawdnose how many roadside strandings or even accidents were caused by over-tightened nuts, through simple inability to get them off or loss of a wheel.

Same here. You can tell by the way they go about cleaning hubs and feeling for burrs and the way they hold the tools. Plus they always come back with comments about discs, pads,hoses, bushes, exhaust hangers etc. They're not the cheapest but........maybe they are in the long run.