Recommendations for inch pound torque wrenches Options

[fiacra]

Several recent threads about oil screens has me thinking I need to invest in another tool - a torque wrench that is more accurate at the lower end of scale. To that end, seeking recommendations for which inch pound torque wrench to buy. What do you have and would you recommend it? I suspect there will be lots of different opinions, but lets hear them!

[Ninja]

I’m going to (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

While torque wrenches are necessary tools and should be used there is a deeper problem I’ve seen over 40 years of playing with cars and watching others do the same. I’ve almost always owned Japanese and European cars while my friends owned Domestic stuff.

The biggest issue is the guys that grew up on Murican’ iron seem to think more force (or torque) is the solution to almost every problem. The BFH or the breaker bar come out of the tool box almost as a first choice. Not trying make fun of anyone - just an observation I’ve seen over and over.

That may have some merit when dealing with steel and cast iron. Euro and Japanese stuff tends to involve a lot more aluminum and magnesium. Fasteners tend to be M6 and M8 instead of 3/8 and 1/2”. These differences don’t lend themselves to the BFH and/or more torque approach.

A torque wrench won’t always save you when you don’t have an experienced feel for how much torque a fastener can take. Blind use of torque wrenches can still lead to failure. Especially if you’ve got the wrong spec and don’t have expertise to either recognize the spec seems wrong or don’t have the “feel” of when too much torque is being used.

So how to get that experienced feel for how much torque fasteners can take if you haven’t already learned it working on cheap stuff like bicycles, lawnmowers, and mini-bikes?

Consider this skill builder:

Go buy some simple scrap metal or angle iron. About 1/8” thick steel is perfect.

Put two pieces of it back to back and drill a bunch of holes. 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm through both parts.

Now go buy a bunch of bolts and nuts of those sizes - like 3-4 or each.

Bolt them up and now we’re going to intentionally over torque them.

Get a feel for what it feels like then the joint first goes hard when the two pieces of angle iron make initial solid contact. .

Then keep applying more torque incrementally until you can feel the fastener beginning to yield. See if you can then back off the torque - inspect the threads. Then do it again and again until you can really feel when that initial yield is starting to happen.

Likely you’ll screw it up and actually strip fasteners - good. Now you’re getting a feel for what is too much torque.

Rinse, lather & repeat until you can reliably start to feel the fastener just beginning to fail so that you can stop just short of the catastrophic damage.

Want more experience?

Repeat the exercise putting gasket material between the angle iron pieces to soften up the joint. It will substantially change the “feel”.

Ready for the advanced class?

Drill and tap the appropriate holes in Aluminum. Again- will have a different feel just prior to failure.

And the PhD?
Repeat these exercises with and without oil on the fasteners. You’ll quickly discover that when fasteners are lubricated it takes a whole lot less torque to fail. a torque wrench won’t save you if the torque spec is for a dry fastener (most are) and you’ve applied anti-size.

I know this seems silly but for those that haven’t already earned the experienced “feel” via the school of hard knocks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) it is far less costly and time consuming than damaging parts on the car.

Now get back to your Amazon shopping (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

He's so freaking right!!!!

I've done this shit so long I can accurately torque stuff with a powered impact!

That "feel" is CRITICAL!!!!

His method of destructive training is EXCELLENT.
Really good quick way to get 90% of your "feel" trained.
Ninja approved! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)

Plastic intakes are critical for low end torque.
I CONSTANTLY test myself.
Had a Ford with a plastic intake that I decided to tighten by hand with a normal 1/4" ratchet. The torque setting was 72inch/lbs.

Plastic intakes are actually easy...
As the fastener start compressing the silicon O-ring the rotational torque goes up. Important to tighten evenly in multiple steps cris-cross. A nut driver work GREAT for the initial compression of the O-rings
But when you finally fully compress the O-ring and the plastic intake actually hits the head the torque increases dramatically.
You work it down till it goes solid and then another 10 degrees or so. Looking for mild compression of the plastic intake itself.

I did the Ford and then went back with my buddy's high end in/lb. clicker.
As his torque wrench clicked the fasteners all moved a tiny little bit...

So, now I know, in the field, without a torque wrench, I can KICK ASS!!!


Another thing that has been lost to time is "relaxation" time. First time I saw relaxation time mentioned in a Mercedes Benz service manual I thought "Coffee breaks built into the time guides" but I was wrong...

On many gaskets the mounting torque will drop over 15-30 minutes as the gasket compresses and "relaxes".

Stretch to torque (STT) fasteners eliminate this but I still recheck EVERYTHING that is not STT after 30+ minutes. Often it will move another 5-10 degrees!

[TJB/914]

I’m going to (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

While torque wrenches are necessary tools and should be used there is a deeper problem I’ve seen over 40 years of playing with cars and watching others do the same. I’ve almost always owned Japanese and European cars while my friends owned Domestic stuff.

The biggest issue is the guys that grew up on Murican’ iron seem to think more force (or torque) is the solution to almost every problem. The BFH or the breaker bar come out of the tool box almost as a first choice. Not trying make fun of anyone - just an observation I’ve seen over and over.

That may have some merit when dealing with steel and cast iron. Euro and Japanese stuff tends to involve a lot more aluminum and magnesium. Fasteners tend to be M6 and M8 instead of 3/8 and 1/2”. These differences don’t lend themselves to the BFH and/or more torque approach.

A torque wrench won’t always save you when you don’t have an experienced feel for how much torque a fastener can take. Blind use of torque wrenches can still lead to failure. Especially if you’ve got the wrong spec and don’t have expertise to either recognize the spec seems wrong or don’t have the “feel” of when too much torque is being used.

So how to get that experienced feel for how much torque fasteners can take if you haven’t already learned it working on cheap stuff like bicycles, lawnmowers, and mini-bikes?

Consider this skill builder:

Go buy some simple scrap metal or angle iron. About 1/8” thick steel is perfect.

Put two pieces of it back to back and drill a bunch of holes. 4mm, 6mm, 8mm and 10mm through both parts.

Now go buy a bunch of bolts and nuts of those sizes - like 3-4 or each.

Bolt them up and now we’re going to intentionally over torque them.

Get a feel for what it feels like then the joint first goes hard when the two pieces of angle iron make initial solid contact. .

Then keep applying more torque incrementally until you can feel the fastener beginning to yield. See if you can then back off the torque - inspect the threads. Then do it again and again until you can really feel when that initial yield is starting to happen.

Likely you’ll screw it up and actually strip fasteners - good. Now you’re getting a feel for what is too much torque.

Rinse, lather & repeat until you can reliably start to feel the fastener just beginning to fail so that you can stop just short of the catastrophic damage.

Want more experience?

Repeat the exercise putting gasket material between the angle iron pieces to soften up the joint. It will substantially change the “feel”.

Ready for the advanced class?

Drill and tap the appropriate holes in Aluminum. Again- will have a different feel just prior to failure.

And the PhD?
Repeat these exercises with and without oil on the fasteners. You’ll quickly discover that when fasteners are lubricated it takes a whole lot less torque to fail. a torque wrench won’t save you if the torque spec is for a dry fastener (most are) and you’ve applied anti-size.

I know this seems silly but for those that haven’t already earned the experienced “feel” via the school of hard knocks (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) it is far less costly and time consuming than damaging parts on the car.

Now get back to your Amazon shopping (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

He's so freaking right!!!!

I've done this shit so long I can accurately torque stuff with a powered impact!

That "feel" is CRITICAL!!!!

His method of destructive training is EXCELLENT.
Really good quick way to get 90% of your "feel" trained.
Ninja approved! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ninja.gif)

Plastic intakes are critical for low end torque.
I CONSTANTLY test myself.
Had a Ford with a plastic intake that I decided to tighten by hand with a normal 1/4" ratchet. The torque setting was 72inch/lbs.

Plastic intakes are actually easy...
As the fastener start compressing the silicon O-ring the rotational torque goes up. Important to tighten evenly in multiple steps cris-cross. A nut driver work GREAT for the initial compression of the O-rings
But when you finally fully compress the O-ring and the plastic intake actually hits the head the torque increases dramatically.
You work it down till it goes solid and then another 10 degrees or so. Looking for mild compression of the plastic intake itself.

I did the Ford and then went back with my buddy's high end in/lb. clicker.
As his torque wrench clicked the fasteners all moved a tiny little bit...

So, now I know, in the field, without a torque wrench, I can KICK ASS!!!


Another thing that has been lost to time is "relaxation" time. First time I saw relaxation time mentioned in a Mercedes Benz service manual I thought "Coffee breaks built into the time guides" but I was wrong...

On many gaskets the mounting torque will drop over 15-30 minutes as the gasket compresses and "relaxes".

Stretch to torque (STT) fasteners eliminate this but I still recheck EVERYTHING that is not STT after 30+ minutes. Often it will move another 5-10 degrees!

\

Wow this is so true for any one under 65-years old, Buy the best tool you can afford.

I am going on 89-years old and can't handle these torque issues having grown up with BFH's. At this time in my life I'll pay Porsche garage $100+ hour rates.

Tom, getting old is a bitch (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[dgw]

Tom, getting old is a bitch (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I agree, but as my friend always says, its better than the alternative!