12 Torque Specs?

Thank you for all the suggestions and information thus far. This pan is cast aluminum so it isn't distorted in the same way that a steel pan can be. So at least it has that going for it!

Justin

Hello Justin,
You may have already checked it but if not this may help you get an oil tight seal . I have found that If a pressed steel oil pan has ever been over tightened or removed and replaced a number of times the oil pan gasket face at setscrew locations becomes distorted, this can be checked easily by eye with a straight edge or straight edge and feeler gauge. If distorted It can be rectified by gentle blows with a hammer while holding the oil pan outer face against a suitable surface like the edge of a steel work bench. If a neoprene cork gasket is used it will easily compress and extrude adjacent to the setscrews if over tightened. For tighting I use a 1/4" drive socket set and tighten just enough to start compressing the gasket which would be about as tight as others have sugested and easily achieved if using a screw driver. I tighten all screws equally and follow up tighten after car has been on a run. The torque required is too low for my 1/2" drive ft-pound torque wrench but a 1/4" drive inch- pound torque wrench may help with repeatability if you have one.

mikespeed35 wrote: A tip for reinstalling your pan gasket or other hard to position gasket mounting. I read this tip in SK Mag. years ago and it works great.
CORDially Mike

Great tip Mike, I did something similar with the old head bolts to aid in locating the head.

Hi,

@Mike:

This is a great tip that I learned from the original "old timer" in my life (my dad) long ago. It works just as well when putting a fan back on a water pump in tight quarters (my 37 Buick Roadmonster is otherwise impossible) and any three-hand multi-bolt have-to-retain-alignment attachment scenario.

Replacing a bolt-attachment with a permanent threaded stud and nut can be helpful also. I did this for the 40 LaSalle's fuel pump attachment where the spring tension of the pump defied all attempts to start the two installation bolts. By using studs of sufficient length secured in Locktite Blue in the threaded holes in the block I was able easily to draw down the pump with nuts on the studs. One could then replace the studs one at a time with the original bolts, but I didn't bother. I considered--and still consider--the studs to be an improvement to the original design.

I did the same with the LaSalle and Buick starter motors which also require three hands to install.

--Tom

The mentioned torque specs for bolts with a specific grade and diameter are recommandations for general purpose. It should be taken as a recommandation for the maximum torque.

Regarding cylinder heads and oil pans these torque specs are not useful, because of other limitations, f.i.:

- material of oil pan or cylinder head (f.i. aluminum or steel)
- construktion, stiffness (warpage, detortion)
- material of the gasket

For unknown cylinder head torque specs I use the specs of other similar engines with known specs. For oil pans made of sheet metal and cork gasket I have a torque wrench in my right hand installed <!-- s;-) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_wink.gif" alt="" title="Wink" /><!-- s;-) -->. Just hand tight as if you use a screw driver for slotted heads....
After 500 miles you should check these screws and tighten if necessary.

Good luck.

Andy

I think the hardware is guess only unless some one has the factory drawings with the specs. A tip for reinstalling your pan gasket or other hard to position gasket mounting. Get some grade two bolts with the same thread as the pan bolts, that are at least a couple inches longer than tha pan bolts. Cut off the heads of the bolts and cut a screwdriver slot on one end. Four bolts usually works best. Position two of these toward the front of the pan and two at the back. Then position the pan and gasket over these studs and start some bolts and then remove the studs. This keeps the gasket and pan from sliding around when you are trying to position the pan and start some bolts. I read this tip in SK Mag. years ago and it works great.
CORDially Mike

Great link Joel - thanks!

Now how do we determine what grade the hardware is? They aren't marked with the modern hashes to indicate. Does anyone know?

Justin

See attached link

www.engineershandbook.com/Tables/torque.htm

I don't know the torque figures for my 898A, either. Before using the setting for a Chrysler, I'd use the one for 1935-36 Auburn eight cylinder. My old MoTor's repair manual says 49 to 53 for head nuts, and to tighten from the center and work outward (fairly standard sequence).

There used to be some kind of engineers handbook with a variety of data including I believe general torque specs based on the size of the fastener, thread count etc. Might be able to find one on Amazon or Ebay. That said, when I had the head off my car some years back, the machine shop that ground the valves found a chart (I think it was a Chrysler flathead 6) for similar displacement and more importantly, a similar # of fasteners for the pattern.

Not such a big deal on a pan tho.

Mike - Good point. I will use a torque wrench regardless of what needs to be done.

Tom - Thanks for the tip. I found the article you mentioned in the 2008 #5 and #6 newsletters. While very informative all it says about installation torque is to follow the manufacturer's torque instructions.

Oh well!

Justin

Hi,

There was an article in the Newsletter a few years ago about being careful about torquing cork gaskets. Search the Newsletter CD for it.

--Tom

Justin,

Unless you are very good with the wrench, I would still use torque wrench, just use a low value.

I ?ll hop on this question, would like to know the torque specs for cylinder head bolts for my 8-98.
Oil pan screws need to be installed with a pretty low torque, in order to avoid distortion and gasket damage. "ver hand tight" sounds well.

Cheers
Andy

Can't seem to find anything in the owners or service manual or searching this forum. Were there any published torque specs for the 12 (or 8 for that matter)? I'm about to drop an oil pan and was wondering what torque to reinstall it to.

When in doubt I'll just do it "very hand tight".

Justin