Best method of tightening cam cover bolts

[SupraMan1987]

I am going to most likely put my freshly powder coated cam covers back on in the next few days. My question is, what is the best method of tightning down the bolt that go to a crazy low torque setting? I have switched out to stainless bolts to get away from the screws. So, what method do you guys use? I do not have a torque wrench that goes as low as the factory spec. Let me know guys.

 

[Clip]

stick to factory spec and get a torque wrench that'll let you do it properly.

 

[radiod]

Get a torque wrench. It will save you headaches, broken bolts, and stripped threads.

 

[SupraMan1987]

22 inch pounds though? i was always under the impression that the screws were the weak link, and reason for the low amount.

 

[Keros]

A nut driver of some sort will prevent you from unwittingly busting the crap out of it, but nothing short of a torque wrench will get the torque spec perfect.

If you use a nut driver (a screw driver for bolts, basically), you can tighten the bolts down equally and incrimentally, and slowly work the cam cover down tight. If some bolts are tighter than others it won't seal, so it's a tedious operation. Most average humans can't get much more than 25 or 30in-lbs of force onto a screw driver with one hand. So you'll be ok if you're not some half-breed gorrilla.

 

[Turbo Habanero]

So you'll be ok if you're not some half-breed gorrilla.

:evil2: Or Tweeking on some ANGEL DUST

 

[Asterix]

I used socket-head screws. With a long ball-nose hex driver that looks like a standard screwdriver, I can get to all of them but one with the car together. Like Keros suggested, I just can't get them too tight that way - I'm not strong enough. I figure as tight as my hand can get them is good enough.

I'd rather not use hex-head bolts since it's too tempting to use a wrench on them.

Asterix