Loading…
23
My torque wrench habit was wrong for 14 years, a failing pump tipped me off
I have been doing compressor service since 2011, and I always torqued the head bolts to spec cold. Last month a customer in Boise called about a unit losing pressure after I had replaced the valves. The bolts were still tight when I checked, but the gasket had shifted just enough to leak. That is when it clicked, I read the manual again and it said to torque in stages with the compressor warmed to operating temperature first. The thermal expansion changes the clamping force completely. I never questioned it because my old mentor did it cold and never had issues, but he also ran units that were not as precise as these new ones. Has anyone else discovered they were following an outdated practice that modern tech sheets corrected? I feel like a fool for 14 years of potentially premature failures.
0 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In0 Comments
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this discussion.