A quick note on torque specs for those aluminum oil pans

I keep seeing people crank down the bolts on those newer GM 2.7L turbo engines like they're old iron blocks. The spec is only 18 ft-lbs, and over-torquing warps the pan. I learned this the hard way after a repeat leak on a customer's Silverado. What's the weirdest low-torque spec you've run into?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ben8d ago

Honestly, I once stripped a plastic drain plug thinking it needed real force.

derek787d ago

Ever wonder if the real problem is the torque wrench itself? A cheap clicker that hasn't been calibrated in years might say 18, but it's actually putting down 25. Maybe we're all trusting a tool that's lying to us.