Cameron,

Just tighten them "fairly snug" --like, don't lean on the Allen wrench! And tighten them all evenly, to the same degree. There's always that self-destructive urge (I know it well) to really tighten the suckers, and then you'll be sorry.

I've stripped threads in the past on outboard motors (spark plugs) and other stuff until I learned not to overdo it. If you get really obsessive--I'm kidding here--you could get a torque wrench that actually measures the degree of tightening in foot-pounds. I used to use one to do work on VW bugs for years. You had to tighten each bolt on the clutch plate to exactly the same degree. Torque wrenches are great devices and are commonly used in engine work on cars, planes, etc.


Alan Lofft,
Axiom Resident Expert (Retired)