Torque Wrench Help Please.

Um...no.
Signed,
Engineer.

 

Harbor Freight's torque wrenches are awesome in my experience. I'm able to verify torque calibration at my work too and they are accurate.

 

For the OP, most definitely lol. Two times a year?? Just do the free parts house rentals.

 

Agreed, I’m an outboard mechanic and use mine all the time for various tasks. Anything from torquing engine internals to head bolts, etc. The biggest safety/ important one for my line of work is flywheel bolts that can only be used once because when you torque to spec it actually stretches the bolt, id hate to see what the flywheel does if it comes loose at 6000 rpm. All that being said, i use a tekton and have been very happy with. Not to mention, my first one did fail pretty soon after i bought it but they replaced it, no questions asked, free shipping, no proof of purchase and they didnt ask for the defective one to be returned

 

Um.. depends on what you’re doing.
I went most of my life replacing spark plugs, changing tires and other things without a torque wrench for 45 years and never an issue. First time I ever used one was rebuilding an engine at age 17, required there. Otherwise it was not a necessity to me. I have 5 now and sometime use where I didn’t used to but only because I have them and want to lol.
Also signed engineer, electrical controls but mechanical as a hobby and pumps and drives as a profession.

Disclaimer: Beware Engineer claims they are sometimes sketchy. lol

 

um,yes
signed,
someone that's been broke

 

Get the right size. If it's a twice a year thing then that must mean wheels change overs. So find a ½" drive that has a range that puts the wheel torque toward the middle of the scale. Something like the

$49 Tekton 24335 TEKTON 1/2" Drive Micrometer Torque Wrench (10-150 ft.-lb.) | 24335

Tekton 24335 with a 10 to 150 ft. Lb scale would be a perfect fit.

My personal torque wrench is a Norbar Torque wrench. I also have 2 Snap-on, a Proto and a Westward brand... as a professional mechanic I need different ranges to do various jobs.

 

Some people inately know what to do.
Some have zero clue.

 

Yea I tend to agree with you. I’ve built a lot of stuff and rarely use a torque wrench. Most of the time it’s not as necessary as people like to make it seem.

In my experience, torque specs mostly serve to make installing the bolts repeatable on the assembly line for workers that don’t have time or desire to take care in tightening the bolt. So torque wrenches and torque limiting devices are used to speed up the process while still ensuring the bolts get tight.

 

Maybe for you, but if your doing any engine work on occasion, they are critical...

 

This came up in another thread. This sentiment... I have been working on vehicles as a hobby and as a professional for the better part of 35 years... I have seen first hand on multiple occasions where this sentiment that a torque wrench is not needed has caused sever and irreparable damage to expensive components.

I watched a mechanic I was working with, split a cast piece to the bow door of a ferry, a part that hadn't been made since the seventies, because he didn't use a torque wrench. (I work in marine for a while too)

Another time, I had to repair an engine block because the pervious person on the job snapped every mount bolt on the front engine cradle of a Cummins engine.. we were lucky the bellhousing didn't snap from the extra stress it took as a result.

There is also the the time I misread in-lbs for ft-lbs and ended up pulling a stud right out of a timing cover. You only make that mistake once.

Torque wrenches prevent long term problems like snapped lugs or broken oil filter housings. Even after all my time wrenching, I still trust a torque wrench over my guessing...

 

You can get some fairly decent torque wrenches for less money than the price to calibrate one. Tekton, Icon, Husky, Craftsman will work fine.
Just remember to store them set to '0' and they will serve you well.

 

I got this one and it been great!

 

Threads like this are why I don't like buying used trucks.

 

Tekton makes an excellent Torque wrench… I own a couple of them (1/2 inch and 3/8). Their Split Beam wrench does not need to be set back to ‘0’, since it doesn’t have any tension.

 

Brand: Precision Instruments

$189 Precision Instruments PREC3FR250F Silver 1/2" Drive Split Beam Torque Wrench with Flex Head

4.8 out of 5 stars1,233Reviews
Precision Instruments PREC3FR250F Silver 1/2" Drive Split Beam Torque Wrench with Flex head

 

Some auto parts stores will loan or rent you tools.

 

Take a look at the crank pulley torque specs. I’ll never buy one with less than 250 foot/pounds, again. I have four. Two inch pound, one click style, one beam. Two foot pound. Neither reached the 186 ft/pounds for that pulley. Jmtc

 

Lowes currently has a great deal on a couple of Craftsman torque wrenches, basically half off. You can get a 1/2 and a 3/8 drive for around $100 for both.

 

That's always been my argument. If someone smarter than me did the math, and spec'd the materials and proper values for those material to be tightened, I generally assume they probably know what they're talking about more-so than I do.

I'm definitely never flying on a no torque spec airline, I can assure you that.


Disclaimer: I do not own a torque wrench