Water pump question?

[Joshooha]

People act like I'm crazy for breaking out the torque wrenches for almost everything. If I have the specs(with the internet I always do) I figure might as well do it properly. For things that are tight, wheel lugs being a good example I torque in passes.

For a thermostat housing I do basically what you do, tighten the bolts alternating until snug. Then I hit them with the torque wrench. At 15ft lbs it's only a 1/4-1/2 turn or so past snug. I can't imagine getting the bolt to even turn going from 10, 12, 15.

So ya your crazy. I just did the water pump on mine last week....I also did the ZJ clutch, serp. belt, thermostat, oil change, tire rotation, oil filter housing adjustment, exhaust collector gasket and transfercase output seal...all I torqued was the wheels. The Collector gasket I tightened up w/ an air ratchet. It took me 2.5 hours to do all of that and I saved about 15 mins not dicking with a 3/8's drive torque wrench and my sanity...I don't really know an actual tech that own's a 3/8's drive torque wrench...that actually uses it. I guess its more of a preference, or experience thing. I do know a few guys that have never done mechanic work on a daily basis that use them, I assume its because they can't tell the difference between "tight" and "broken". hahaha. I have broke a few bolts in my day though...nobodys perfect.

 

[winterbeater]

It took ten years of breaking bolts to calibrate my arms and wrists. If you think you have to tighten it so much to keep it from coming off, use some blue loctite. Torque wrenches are mostly for head bolts, con rods and mains (maybe tranny internals, which I haven't really done). But knock yourself out on the rest of the stuff. That way you don't have to learn by breaking stuff.