The Trouble with Torque Wrenches and Other Mechanical Misadventures

Protruding from the exhaust port on the forward cylinder head of a Harley Davidson are two bolts onto which the exhaust header is attached. Similar bolts grace the rear cylinder head. These beautiful threaded studs reach out to embrace the shiny flange that secures the header in place with the assistance of a couple of nuts. It is important to use a torque wrench to tighten these nuts using the proper amount of pressure. About 22 ft.-lbs. on the scale of mechanical pressure. Carefully adjust the wrench to the setting, lock the setting in place, and torque down the nuts. Simple enough. But perhaps I know not the subtleties of the torque wrench. With such relative ease, I managed to snap off the forward stud, leading me over the next hours to curse my stupidity, attempt to drill out the stud, snap off a carbon steel easy-out in the drill hole (a process that preoccupied no small amount of time), whacking, tapping, spraying with liquid wrench, cursing, staring silently at the holes I punched in a piece of plywood with a tack hammer, laughing and then facing the inevitable: time to give up my mechanical masquerade.