| Author | Message | ||
     Marticm |
Does anyone have a recommendation for a good quality torque wrench? I have a 20 to 200 ft/lb wrench but I need one for the smaller items. A reasonable price would be welcomed as well. A Snap-On is a bit out of my price range. | ||
| Red93stang |
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/ccrp-1304-torque-wr ench-testing/ They did a test in Hot Rod/Car Craft on torque wrenches a few years ago. Interesting what the found. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Very interesting article- thanks for posting. I never knew that I should back off the setting after each use. I imagine my old Allied 1/2" drive purchased from Sam's Club ~30 years ago is WAY down now. OTOH I purchased a 3/8" drive Craftsman ~5 years ago; the case that came with it requires you to back off the setting to fit the wrench back in the case. Nice design feature. Unless I'm missing something, the only wrenches the article gives any testing info on are the HF adapter (which was very accurate) and the HF 1/2" click type torque wrench. It doesn't give any info on the performance of the others. I'd also be curious to know how accurate the old beam type torque wrenches are. I bought one of those to use for my front axle since my clicker won't work in reverse. | ||
| Hughlysses |
One other point worth mentioning- I think my 1/2" drive goes up to 150 ft-lbs. You need a much higher rating for crankshaft fasteners on Buells and EBRs. You'll drop $200+ dollars on a torque wrench that goes that high. Luckily I discovered that the local auto parts store (Autozone in my case) had a free loaner torque wrench that goes up to 250 ft-lbs. Of course now I wonder accurate it was! | ||
| Marticm |
Thanks for that. Interesting. I like the HF adaptor but it seems to be limited to larger fasteners. On the same topic, does anyone know where a torque recommendation table is located for the 1190? I have looked in the service manual and all I can find are videos that state to tighten fastener to recommended torque value. With no values given. | ||
| Kenk |
I found both my torque wrenches (including a 16-100 ftlb Snapon) at pawn shops. Prices were much lower than a new one. Ken | ||
| Bluex |
Torque vales are in the part books in Nm and small fonts next to the specific parts! | ||
| 1_mike |
Ken - Have you had those bargain basement torque wrenches checked for accuracy ? Mike | ||
| Stevel |
I cringe when I think how many mechanics own torque wrenches that have never been calibrated. This is an issue that can have severe consequences. Further, how many of us buy torque wrenches and trust that they are in spec by the manufacturer? If any of you think this is not a serious issue, go to any DRMO Government auction and see just how many red tagged torque wrenches are being sold. All of them have failed calibration tests. This is a gamble I am not willing to take. A calibration test will usually cost the same as a new torque wrench. However, there is a solution that is economical. You can now buy digital torque testers for around $50 from Amazon and other outlets and these are cheap, affordable insurance. One brand is Powerbuilt and another is ACDELCO. Both are very good and accurate. This is possible today because of the drastically reduced cost of electronic strain gauges (the internal sensing component) that were not available in the past. Just as important as a calibrated wrench, is good procedures and understanding for consistent results. First, never leave your torque wrench at a torque setting other than "0" and put it away into storage. This is the most common cause of failure to maintain wrench accuracy. Second, always pull smoothly keeping the wrench in motion to the "click", then stop. If, as you approach the correct torque, the wrench stops early, back the fastener off and start again. Otherwise, the friction of the fastener causes sticktion and when starting from that point again, will cause an incorrect torque being set. Lastly, is understanding what correct torque of a fastener is all about. When the design engineer specifies a certain fastener, he is specifying a certain clamping force. This force is then equated to a fastener that when tightened into "stretch, but not yield", applies the correct clamping pressure. For those that do not understand yield, it is permanent deformation of the fastener. For instance, if a 2" long fastener is used, tightened and then removed and is now 2.010", the fastener has been put into yield and permanently deformed. In this case the fastener is no longer safe to use and must be discarded. At the same time, correct tightening must place the fastener into non-permanent stretch so that the fastener does not loosen due to vibration and heating/cooling cycles maintaining an even consistent clamp. Obviously fastener material has a large influence on the correct torque that should be applied. Fasteners come in multiple grades and it is a misconception that a user can substitute one fastener grade for another, either up in strength or down. It is unsafe. | ||
| Terrys1980 |
Just use the old school method to check compliance. Clamp the square drive in a vice, find a known weight like a dumbbell, tie it to the handle with a rope and set the torque wrench accordingly. I have a Craftsman for small torques. My 150 lb wrench was backed out to far by a friend so I need to get it calibrated. Sometimes torque matters incredibly but for basic covers and smaller bolts it isn't necessary. If you can't judge how tight a 6mm bolt is, you probably should let someone else work on your bike. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Given most of the torque settings in the manual give you a 10 or 15% range of settings, I don't sweat the calibration. I use them more as a sanity check then a precision tool. Don't judge me.  | ||
| Dannybuell |
This seems like the appropriate time; could one of our experts discuss wet v.s. dry torque settings? Wet is the default, right? | ||
| Hughlysses |
Clamp the square drive in a vice, find a known weight like a dumbbell, tie it to the handle with a rope and set the torque wrench accordingly. Of course that method depends on the weight you're using being accurate. | ||
| Stevel |
Danny, Very good question. You are correct, there is a big difference between wet and dry torque as it equates to drawbar fastener pull. In critical applications, it is usually specified and many times, even the correct thread lube is specified. This is especially true when it applies to connecting rod bolts. Most custom rod manufacturers not only supply the lube, but specify the fastener stretch, not torque. On my newest Carrillo rods for the 1125, the 10mm bolts are made of very special super steel and the stretch is specified to be .006" longer than their at rest length. However, on all the screws and non-critical fasteners on my bikes and cars, I always use anti seize on the threads, not so much for torque reasons, but to prevent moisture ingress and electric corrosion. I do this as the very first thing upon receipt of the machine. | ||
| Mustang0 |
Most people don't have stretch gauges but yes, absolutely the most accurate way to tension critical bolting hardware, usually the only way on steam turbine components, ask me how I know. Lol I suppose in a pinch you might be able to use a micrometer if the end sufaces are prepped and accessable. | ||
| Willmrx |
How to use a stretch gauge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxW7TJTWoOY | ||
| Submax |
I have the previous generation of this wrench and have been very happy with it. My version was made in USA. Not sure if the new one is or not. https://www.amazon.com/Gearwrench-KD85060-30-200-M icro-Torque/dp/B016KC2PT0 |
