Last Entry on this thread?
Folks,
Thanks for all the advice. Not being satisfied with the results of the bbl install, I decided to start over. I pulled everything apart, checked for wear and damage, pulled together a few new parts and tools (especially a new bbl nut), and started over.
Instead of worrying about the precise torque, I just tried to snug the b-tard up three times and go from there. To my immense relief, when snugged, the torque measured about 42 ft. lbs. (the only time I measured it) and had about 1 arc mm. to go to clear the gas tube. Another snugging push and ... done.
Of course, after all was fixed in place, when I decided to loosen my vise to rotate it slightly on the horizontal axis for another job, I accidentally loosened the locking screws too far and dropped the retaining plate into the vise. Today's job? Repair the vise. :(
Really, thanks for all the help. There ain't no substitute for experience.