I'm sure we all torque our nuts on a regular basis but a doubt has been put in my mind to this practice after reading some comments on a tool forum.

Basically it was claimed that using an extension between the torque wrench and socket will lower the applied torque to the fastener, the longer the extension the worse it gets. Do you wise chaps think this correct?

I can see how if you were using an impact driver that the extensions would act a bit like a spring and absorb some of the energy but with a hand held torque wrench it would be a constant twisting action so i can't see where the twisting energy goes if indeed it doesn't appear at the socket end to turn the nut.

A recent experience that i'm now wondering about,

I replaced a discharge valve gasket on a large copeland comp in a air drier and the only way i could get enough swing on the torque wrench was with about 5ft of extensions so i could stand outside the machine! At least either way it was tightened evenly which i thing is also important with gaskets.