[SEL] Honda oil plug OT

[John Culp]

> I have a great disliking for an impact wrench due to a similar 
> situation many
> years ago.  I realize that impact wrenches have their place.

I've several times encountered dangerous situations from overtightening 
lug nuts with impact wrenches. As I kid I was on a trip with my folks 
when  a tire went flat. Pop went to take the lug nuts off with a cross 
lug wrench and found the threads were all completely stripped. Amazing 
the wheel hadn't come off. We had to be towed into a shop by a wrecker.

Jane was driving herself to college one morning when her left rear 
wheel came off and passed her. Her dad got all over the guy who'd 
stripped her lug threads.

I was fortunately driving my Ramcharger, not riding my Harley, when the 
left front wheel of an oncoming Oldsmobile Cutlass came off and came 
straight at me. We were in a 40 MPH speed zone and I was obeying the 
speed limit. Looked to me like the other car was, too. Didn't have time 
to slow down much. The wheel was bouncing up to my head height, but 
when it hit it dead-centered my "Eat More Possum" tag on the front 
bumper. Felt like I'd run over a fire hydrant or something, a 
substantial impact. The wheel went back in the direction it came from, 
moving even faster. Went between two cars, and sailed down into a 
creek. The heavy front bumper was bent into a V, the grill was smashed, 
and the air conditioning condenser was dinged. The stripped threads 
from the lug nuts were still in the threads on the lugs. Fortunately 
the lady driving was able to pull safely to the side of the road and 
didn't veer into me along with her wheel.

It used to be a common belief, may still be, among mechanics that the 
overriding clutch on those wrenches wouldn't allow overtightening, and 
they'd let 'em sit and hammer after the nut was run down. Very, very 
dangerous practice.

John