Torque wrenches

[SS90]

I've always wondered if mechanics actually torque everything. They certainly didn't when reattaching my rear light assembly as i found out when it smashed all over the road!

For a tail light lens?, no, for most everything else, it's up to the individual mechanic.

[CookMySock]

I never used a torque wrench for anything, except critical things like head bolts. But one or two things worked their way lose, or stripped, so I started to use one a lot more.

Its like a GPS in the car. Before you had one, you could find your way most anywhere, with the odd incorrect turn. Once you get GPS, if it doesnt work, you get lost straight away.

So, I have to use a torque wrench all the time now, I don't have even remotely calibrated hands anymore !

It slows me down, and nuts still come off or strip, wish Id never picked the bloody thing up really !

Dayam, it doesn't sound like you are much better off than I.

My calibrated wrist actually works pretty well. After 30 years of working on things, I know what a bolt feels like when it yields, so I can do torque-to-yield real well. It's especially easy on long bolts as you can feel them stretch.

It took me about a year to stop stripping things on bikes, and I don't have things coming loose at all so maybe I'm doing alright! I don't do a lot of engine work though.

Steve

[gatch]

My calibrated wrist actually works pretty well. After 30 years of working on things, I know what a bolt feels like when it yields, so I can do torque-to-yield real well. It's especially easy on long bolts as you can feel them stretch.

You should run a class on this..

The amount of fucked threads, nuts, studs etc that I have to fix/remanufacture at work, because some dumbarse' wrist wasn't calibrated properly, is astonishing really.

Maybe I'm from a different school of thinking, but why would you not use a properly calibrated torque wrench ?

[CookMySock]

The amount of fucked threads, nuts, studs etc that I have to fix/remanufacture at work, because some dumbarse' wrist wasn't calibrated properly, is astonishing really.

Maybe I'm from a different school of thinking, but why would you not use a properly calibrated torque wrench ?

Same reason as everyone else - I dont want to spend my money on that, or I can't be effed walking to the cabinet to get it. It's just lazyness. Until I stuff something much more expensive than a torque wrench I keep doing it.

It's like buying a thousand bux worth of radar detector - it's the right way to do it, but no one does unless they do everything the right way, or they have a grand to piss against the wall, or they have no more demerits left.

Steve

[Pixie]

on tardme:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-278619801.htm

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-278947725.htm


Teng = good brand
around $100 very good price

[Pixie]

Hmmm... Mine's only 30 years old, I think from memory I paid $36.00 for it and it's still in the original foam and cardboard box.

Me too
Always reset to zero after use so they aren't stored under tension

$800 worth of torque driver:

[Pixie]

I got three. The important one being the 1/4" drive. But mainly I use my precision calibrated hands. Caliper bolts are tight as buggery , axle bolts tight as a sailor on payday. Works for me. Mainly use the torque wrench for things like BMW flywheel bolts which have to be as tight as a Scotchman in a synagogue, and easy to underestimate, my hands are only calibrated to about 30 lb-ft.

Well the caliper bolts on the bandit are only torqued to 28 ft lb,which is not tight as buggery,only tight as conventional sex,really.

[CookMySock]

Teng = good brand, around $100 very good price

AND thats the first torque wrench I have seen with the torque-to-yield angle scale on it. Full marks, Teng!
The smaller (Range 3-18 Ft. lb/5-25 Nm) would the ducks nuts for small engine work.

I wonder how well the clutch works on these little impact drivers.



If the slip clutch was calibratable and repeatable, they would be sooo super-fast for disassembling stuff. Not for newbies to use though, or much strippage would result. Maybe they need a microcontroller in them.

Steve

[swbarnett]

Pissed me right off when the instructor used a factor of 10 instead of gravity (9.81) to convert kg to N.

Even that's an approximation. The figure is actually closer to 9.80665. It all depends of the accuracy you need. Considering the range of torque settings the manual on my CBX quotes I dare say 10 would be good enough (although I'm no mechanic so I could be wrong).

[gatch]

Me too
Always reset to zero after use so they aren't stored under tension

$800 worth of torque driver:

One of the welders (no offense to welders in general) at work is not a particularly smart man, used our mega dollar 1" drive break back style torque wrench to crack some rusted bolts. Complete with his bit of pipe on the handle, he managed to bend the bar, ruin the break mechanism, then puts it back in the stores still tensioned to nearly max setting..

Face palms all round that day..

[pzkpfw]

seeing as we are talking about calibration..... who does it and how often should the wrench be calibrated?

Bumping the question.



(I don't even understand my clicker-style torque wrench. The zero on the rotation adjuster doesn't meet any of the marks on the bar itself, so it seems like I have to guess the setting anyway...)

[cbfb]

Bumping the question.



(I don't even understand my clicker-style torque wrench. The zero on the rotation adjuster doesn't meet any of the marks on the bar itself, so it seems like I have to guess the setting anyway...)

Bump...

After today's experience I could say Ripco when I take it back under warranty

But seriously how do you check it's working properly before you snap your cam journal holder bolt off

[Edbear]

Bump...

After today's experience I could say Ripco when I take it back under warranty

But seriously how do you check it's working properly before you snap your cam journal holder bolt off

Scroll down to Torque Wrenches... There's a company which does calibrating, I'll look it up.

http://www.sulco.co.nz/monthly_speci...y_specials.pdf

[Katman]

Bump...

After today's experience I could say Ripco when I take it back under warranty

But seriously how do you check it's working properly before you snap your cam journal holder bolt off

If you're going to torque up your cam journal holders you'd want to use a 1/4 drive torque wrench that accurately measures 'inch pounds'.

Otherwise just nip them up a with a 1/4 drive ratchet.

[Edbear]

Calibration at:

Strainer Systems Ltd
Unit 7
318 Beach Haven Road

Beach Haven

North Shore City

Auckland 0626
PO Box 40537
Glenfield
North Shore City 0747 (09) 482 1999 Fax09) 482 3086 Mobile027) 678 1499 Website Email Established in 1984 as a family business manufacturing rainwater strainers for domestic water collection. In 1986 became repair centre for Norbar Torque Tools Ltd and Torqueleader Products both from the UK.

1994 saw us accepted and registered to Telarc under their Q-base management programme specialising in torque repairs and calibration on all makes of torque tools and equipment.

1998 was the year we were accepted and registered with International Accreditation New Zealand as a Torque Laboratory.


Products

* Calibration and Certification of Torque wrenches and screwdrivers
up to 2700 Newton meters (2000 LB.F/FT)
* Calibration and Certification of Torque transducers and Torque testers
up to 1356 Newton meters (1000 LB.F/FT)

Distributor for:

Norbar Torque Tools Ltd. UK, Torqueleader Products, UK, Sturtevant & Richmont, USA, K.D. Tools USA.

Service repair for:

Norbar Torque Tools Ltd. UK, Torqueleader, UK, Tapmatic Corporation, USA, Huck (Australia) Pty Ltd, Warren & Brown, Australia., Teng Tools, T & E T/Wrenches