Torque wrenches.

[moetrout]

Guys,

Can one of you explain how the old school torque wrenchess work? The kind with the needle on them. They don't click when you hit the desired torque like the new ones. I have rebuilt one motor, EVER! It was for my tiller and ran for about 20 seconds and then died and kind of wound down. Not sure what I did wrong and I would like to get it apart and figure out that one. At the time I broke a head bolt using the torque wrench, so I'd have to say it does not work like I thought. I also have an old 3.5 hp briggs that I would like to try to rebuilt (real basket case!). So any info on how to use the old style torque wrenches would be great.

 

[Affair_driven]

Bolt was either defective or was replaced with the wrong bolt. Maybe a defective wrench?
Possible that torque wrench was for ft. lbs. and was read as inch lbs.?

 

[t0x1k]

Here's a how too.

1. Throw it out.
2. Buy a 150ft/lb wrench for about $30
3. Be happy

 

[moetrout]

You must be talking about cheapo torque wrench from Harbor Freight? If so do they really work? When it comes to tools I usually try to buy the only one I will ever need.

FYI - the one I have now they call a deflecting beam torque wrench. I looked up the ones at HF and see i can get one for $20. So if you have one of these please tell me if you like it.

 

[EagleTalons]

Most torque wrenches that measure in Ft/lbs can be bought for about $40 at local stores. The in/lbs are more expensive.

 

[moetrout]

Cool! I have a couple of different motors to work on soon.

 

[dpaxson]

i've found the ones with a needle are really unreliable at low torque. it's really hard to see the reading unless you're torquing bolts on car engine or something else big.

 

[t0x1k]

I've got a $30 torque wrench from pep boys and I've used it as a hammer, breaker bar, and lug wrench. It still works fine. It may be about 1/2 a ft/lb off.

 

[oscaryu1]

Harbor Freight sells ubercheap torque wrenches

Can spend $40-$50 and get a 1/4 (in. lbs), 3/8th (I forgot lol), and a 1/2 (ft. lbs).

All about the same price

 

[crappyballer]

i bought the 1/4" 200 in/lbs from HF and love it works great. and it only cost me 20 bucks

 

[frederic]

The Harbor Freight ubercheap torque wrenches are about as useful as a bag of rocks while sitting in a sinking canoe.

They are reasonably accurate at the top 30% of it's range, but below that they get progressively worse.

My cousing brought his shiney new HF torque wrench over as today we were to put the head gaskets on his car and button everything up, and while torquing down the heads I noticed it felt "funny" at times.

So I put my overpriced but highly accurate snap-on torque wrench's handle in my vice and put on a 3/4" socket, and put a 3/4" socket on my cousin's wrench. With the sockets facing each other I shoved in a short length of 3/4" diameter hexagon stock.

Turning his wrench only, I found that setting both wrenches to 20 ft-lbs, his wrench sometimes clicked early, sometimes clicked late, sometimes clicked really late as compared to mine.

I know the accuracy of my wrench, and this confirms his isn't very accurate at all. Which is not a big deal for some things but with all these new weirdo-alloy, torque-to-yield bolts on automobiles these days, torque wrench accurancy is now a critical factor in automotive work.

 

[crappyballer]

well which one did he get from harbor freight the in/lbs or the ft/lbs. the only one that was available at my local HF was in/lbs