Torque Wrench

What kind of torque wrench do you have? What's the typical torque range for basic garage maintenance stuff?

 

you will need 2 an inch pound and a foot pound torque wrench

mine are the click style



2.2 to 76 foot pound is the range you have to cover

 

^^ what he said.
Personal preference is beam over click style.

 

I prefer a click type as it is more acurate. Definetly need an inch pound and a ft pound

 

I'd say 5-50 ft/lbs would cover the most stuff.. on a motor. Bigger - just use some common sense.

 

I got this and I like it a lot: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FMPKAD0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

That is a fine looking torque wrench!

The Lord in his infinite wisdom gifted me with a natural ability to gauge torque without the use of specialized tools. It is a sort of sixth sense if you will. I believe I am accurate to within 1/16th of an inch pound (or centimeter kilo as we say in Canada) but I don't own a torque wrench so I can't say for sure.

 

I have the same one as dkavanagh, also an in/lb made by the same folks. I have no complaints with either so far.

 

Back in the day, I re-torqued a crank shaft pulley on an Audi 5000TQ w/ a breaker bar and 3-foot cheater pipe. Pretty sure I got to the 320 lb/ft needed. Didn't fall off anyway.

 

for most fasteners doing by hand will put you as close to correct as a torque wrench will.
but for the important things it is nice to know the bolts are all tightened equal. which is the important thing.

 

Common sense you see. Did the same with the flywheel nut on a VW air-cooled engine - my weight (approx 150lb) hanging from a two foot bar - feet off the ground.

 

^^^ +1 I'm a VW nut still have my much modified 71 Super Beetle .... Flywheel torque is critical ...I've seen cranks wrecked from under torque and threads pulled from over torque . I have several tools for working on the VW that are special to assist doing the job, have had to use the "cheater bar" (3 ft piece of galvanized pipe) several times to break the flywheel nut loose.

 

Well here's my story on the preference of a beam . . . it really boils down to my own negligence. I broke out a relatively new click torque wrench to torque a few fasteners on the valve cover on my jeep. Really didn't need a torque wrench cause I think they were 14ft/lbs or something silly like that. But it was a new torque wrench so I was going for that 'look at me and how professional I am' thing . . .
Set the click setting to 14 ft/lbs (or what ever the appropriate setting was).

Proceeded to snap 3 fasteners - before I stopped . . . . stoooopid me - the torque wrench was relatively new and kept inside - but for what ever reason it bound up a bit and even at a lower setting it wouldn't 'click'. Ended up clamping a bolt in a vise and then exercised the torque wrench until she was clicking again. I think I purchased it at Harbor Freight, so not top of the line type of tool.

Since then I always make sure to exercise my click types, but prefer to use the beam style as it forces me to first make sure it is 'zeroed' and then carefully watch where I am at and no worries about the clicker being bound up.

 

I got a HarborFreight click style last Christmas. I never did trust it to click properly, esp at low torque. I will have to try the exercise routine to see if it helps make it work better.

 

if you know someone with a torque wrench you can test them on each other 2 sockets and a piece of allen wrench to connect them

i test the lower settings on my foot pound against the higher settings on my inch pound this way .

 

Whatever you get just be sure to resist the urge to shop a harbor freight for the wrenches. First time I used one I snapped The bolt.

 

On Aircraft we used a calibrated click type torque wrench only , it has served me well I have both types, but the pointer type are not as accurate in my opinion , if you can't afford or don't have one you can always rent one it is up to you. Cheers

 

Thanks for the help guys!

I figure I'll try and rent them since I'm no mechanic and HOPEFULLY I'll only need a torque wrench for the valve cover and brakes for now.

 

I have 2, a inch pounds and a foot pounds. You need to be careful with any style torque wrench as the accuracy is less in the lower and upper ends, torque wrenches will give the best results in the middle range so you want to have a few that will encompass a wider range and pick the one thats closest to middle. I'd say be careful renting them because they're delicate and you never know when it was last calibrated, nor if they're stored correctly. A torque wrench should be stored at a zero load on the spring to help maintain accuracy over a longer period of time.

 

The more wrenching you do the easier it is to get a feel and also (as mentioned above) know when a torque wrench should be used and when manual tightening will work.

The words of my trainer way back in the days of my Bookbinder Apprenticeship still ring in my ears. "Over tightening a fastener is a sign of insecurity"!

Valve cover, not sure if you have the donuts or not, donuts have shoulder bolts. Tighten too far with worn donuts and you will strip the holes out.
I have no donuts, snug the valve cover bolts up by hand, go around a second time and use the pinky (w/ring finger assist) torque setting.

 

Road side tire changes: 100 ft/lbs required and I'm 200ish. Better jump on the lug wrench with only one foot!

 

Oh yea, well i tightened the big end bearings on the starship Enterprise with my trusty Leatherman, so there

 

You stole my method. An old fashioned "L" shaped allen wrench and two fingers to tighten valve cover bolts! Can't get my torque wrench in under the frame on the inside bolts anyway...

 

ftlb to 80, inch lb to 200. Anything under 14ftlbs I use the inch lb wrench. The wrenches can become un-calibrated. Loosen a accessible pre-torqued bolt then re-torque the bolt to spec should insure the wrench is calibrated. Valve cover bolts should be seated with a Allen wrench to "hand" snug.

Gary H.

 

BTDT. The jaws of the original Geber Multitool can just grab the 1 1/2" nut on a vacuum line coupling and torque it enough to keep the joint from leaking.
Note to all: make sure that you grab your toolbox when you have to drive the spare service van, or every repair that day becomes a exercise in creativity.

 

..show off.

 

I’ve had bad bad experiences with torque wrenches in the past but I’ve been thinking about buying a new one.

Maybe something digital? I know tekton is popular on Amazon but I’m not sure I trust them.

Does anyone have a current recommendation for an inch pound torque wrench?

 

I bought 1/4 and 3/8 Tektons recently and find them to be quite useable.
I'd say it's one of the better budget makes. If you're determined enough, you can spend hundreds on one.

 

Thanks Dave.

I’ve had a $200 digital 3/8 torque wrench sitting in my Amazon cart for a few months and I just can’t bring myself to spend that much.

I do have the 1/2” torque wrench from tekton so maybe I’ll just round out my set with the 3/8 & 1/4.

 

I have the 1/2" and 3/8" Tekton wrenches, but haven't had the need for the 1/4" (yet).