Aaarggh! One of my pet peeves is the over usage and dependency of torque wenches. Unless the threads spotlessly clean and lubricated (by(?--different lubes require different torque values) you either end up with a loose connection or, if you're lucky, something an experienced mechanic can get every time without a torque wrench.
Just make sure the threads are clean and anti-seize coated (so YOU can get the bolts out again), then snug them all up, using a tightening pattern that starts in the middle and works outwards. Then go over each bolt again to add a 'bit' more torque. I use the "two more flats" technique where the head of a bolt has 6 sides or 'flats'. Add a couple more flats and, if you want, or a few more (depending on the situation. Longer bolts require more flats. Got it? After years of tightening bolts this becomes second nature and is almost automatic.
Jeff
PS: Modern car engines have gone this way on torque to yield head bolts, with some specified torque followed by some additional tightening to a certain angle.
