TIL I was tightening flanges way too hard for 10 years

Last month during a shutdown, a senior guy watched me crank a 16-inch flange and just shook his head. He showed me his torque wrench set to 250 ft-lbs and said the gasket does the work, not the bolts. Has anyone else been overdoing it on flange bolts without realizing it?

2 comments

2 Comments

gavin_allen481mo ago

Tbh that senior guy probably saved you from a snapped bolt or two down the road.

holly_williams1mo ago

Three years ago I would've rolled my eyes so hard at this, @gavin_allen48. But last winter I snapped the head off a caliper bolt on my buddy's Accord because I thought I knew better than the 20 year tech in the bay next to me. Watched him take one look at my mess and say "shoulda hit it with some anti-seize back in 2019" and walked off. Changed my whole attitude. Some of those old guys have seen enough seized fasteners to write a book.