Size of Torque Wrench to use?, What's your favorite - Kinda boring hu? - but Useful Options

[bandjoey]

Just finished putting new push rod seals in for the first time and hopefully this will end the drip drip drip. I never bought a 1/4" torque wrench cause it looked to sissy. Big manley 1/2 and 3/8 in the tool box. I picked up the 10ft lb's setting from Haynes to torque the nuts holding on the rocker assembly. On the 3/8 it felt like I was barely tightening the nuts, but it clicked. Almost no old fashion arm strong feel to know how tight the nut really was.

Is there enough use for a 1/4 torque wrench to justify buying one?

On the same topic, do socket extensions or universal joints change the torque setting over just the socket? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Thanks Tool Guys!

[charliew]

In aluminum or alloys I can't get by without torque wrenches. The suby manual has some erroneous torque specs and the young guys screw up regularly because they lack the experience of whats usually about right. For instance 7 inch pounds or 7 ft lbs. 14 inch pounds or 14 ft lbs? The cam saddle caps bolt threads in the heads get messed up the most probably. I think torque wrenches are the most accurate in the middle of their rangs. Also don't forget the thread lube. Torque specs are for lubed threads not dry. I had a airforce guy claim that helicopters used torque specs on dry threads. I don't know but I think he was high the day they talked about torque specs. He actually had a job on my predictive maintenance crew in industrial maintenance. Good thing he wasn't torqing any thing at work other than his opinion.