Torque wrench calibration on my old snap-on saved a head gasket

I pulled a cylinder head off a Freightliner last Tuesday and found the old torque wrench I'd been using for 8 years was off by 12 ft-lbs, which explains the coolant leak I chased for two weeks. A $40 calibration check at the shop in Tulsa caught it, so now I always schedule that before any big job. How often do you guys send your wrenches out for calibration, or do you just trust them until something pops?

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sarah_hart29d ago

Oh man, that hits close to home! I had the same thing happen with my old Craftsman about five years back. I was chasing an oil leak on my F-150 for weeks, replaced the valve cover gaskets twice before I finally checked the wrench. It was reading almost 15 pounds light the whole time. Cost me a fortune in gaskets and about three weekends of my life. Now I send mine out every spring, no excuses, even if they felt fine on the last job. It's one of those things where you don't realize how much you rely on the silly thing until it screws you over. That 40 bucks is nothing compared to pulling a head twice, trust me.