[Early_S_Man]

The specific torque value of 72 in-lb, or 6 lb-ft , was not specified until the 'late' factory graphited gaskets with the incorporated green bead of silicone rubber came out around 1981. And that 6 lb-ft rating was first published in the '78 thru '81 SC Spec Book, dated 31 March 1981.

Up until that time, no torque value at all was specified in the spec books, and everyone just assumed 'hand-tight' wasn't going to rxceed the 'normal' M8 torque value of 18 lb-ft. And, of course ... the original cork gaskets tended to crack or squeeze out in all the wrong places!

If you look at a normal 'combination' wrench of the 10 mm size ... it is no longer than the width of your palm, so, if you do the opposite of 'choking up' on a baseball bat, that is ... snug your four fingers right up next to the box-end of a 13 mm combination wrench, and tighten the valve cover nuts with the wrench held that way, you won't over-torque the nuts, and you don't have to worry about buying a 1/4" drive torque wrench to measure 72 in-lb of torque! Why did I pick an 10 mm wrench? Because a normal DIN 8.8 M6 fastener uses a 7 lb-ft torque specification, that's why!

If the leaking valve cover is warped ... it can be sanded flat again on a piece of thick plate glass with water and a sheet of 400 grit or 600 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper. Be sure to clean thoroughly after sanding!