HELP? Over torqued my fill and drain plugs

Hey guys so I just recently changed the rear and front differential fluid..

I just noticed that I might have been reading my torque wrench wrong and may have accidentally over torqued the fill and drain plugs over by 7ftps more than the specs…

should I loosen them up and re-torque them?.. could I have caused any damage or am I totally fine and just overthinking this?

thanks,

 

Only problem I can think of would be crush washers may leak at new lower torque value. Easy enough to replace fill plug washer. Obviously replacing drain plug washer would cost you your fluid…

 

Don't worry about it

 

I wouldn't worry about that. I'd leave it until the next time you change the fluid. Worst case would be you stripped the threads. Those parts are pretty beefy and you over torqued by about 20%, which isn't crazy. If you stripped the threads you'd know - the parts wouldn't tighten and it would leak. Your good, just leave it.

I over tightened my drain plug on the transmission pan before. I stripped the threads and couldn't tignten the bolt correctly. I knew right away.

 

Your wrench could be off by 7 fps. Nothing to sweat over.

 

Torque wrenches often cause more problems then they solve. You're better off not using one then using it incorrectly.

 

In all the fluid changes I've done I've never used a torque wrench.

 

I was tightening caliper bolts using a torque wrench. I kept tightening, it didn’t click, ended up bending a bolt. What seems to help prevent that is to tighten a little at a time letting off pulling each time.

Now I very rarely use mine, exceptions being something critical like a head gasket, or something with a gasket and multiple fasteners. In that situation I get all fasteners in, then finger tight minus a quarter turn, then finger tight, then tight as I can get them without a tool, then somewhere 20-30% of the spec, then around 60%, then around 90%. Leave it sitting a few minutes, then final torque.

Most torque wrenches have a +-4% or so. Most also should be backed down to zero when stored so you’re not leaving the spring compressed, my inch pound one is like that. My foot pound one is twin bar or something like that and doesn’t need to be zeroed.

7 is very little, you’re probably ok to leave it. Possibly it’s hard to remove after multiple hot cold cycles. You could loosen & retorque if you want, I wouldn’t. It might create a leak.

 

The plugs are 18mm diameter threading into steel. If they haven't stripped out at the time when you tightened them, then they're OK as-is.

 

I don't have the torque specs handy but your torque wrench is within +/-3% of the value shown on the wrench. You will be fine.

 

Yes.

 

Like all others are saying, you're good!