At 10:13 AM 11/27/2001, Gnarlodious wrote:
>'Course I am a woman and therefore not prone to breaking bolts!

Does that mean that you're methodical and always use the correct torque on
your bolts, or that you don't break bolts because you're not strong enough?

If the latter, you might prepare for some disappointment along the line --
far more bolts break from under- than from over-tightening (the Vanagon
alternator bracket is a notorious case in point).  This is because a
properly tightened bolt (i.e. correctly specified bolt size and grade for
the particular joint, correct bolt as per spec, correct washers (hardened
if necessary), torque correctly spec'ed and tightened to that torque under
correct conditions -- dry, lubed, special coatings) will sustain
comparatively little additional stress under load conditions, whereas a
bolt that is too loose, too small, too stiff, not enough bearing surface
etc. will fail by fatigue or bending stress.  For a tutorial see
http://www.boltscience.com/pages/basics1.htm

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"