22 replies to this topic

[ryomini]

Yop

 

hello to all TMFers

 

torque wrenches for big jobs

what do most people feel is a good deal

 

the old classic adjust and wait for the 'click' (but need to get it sorted once a year)

the swanky digi jobber

or the those digi adapter thingys

 

I would be interested to know what people feel is a good deal

 

for doing a complete engine rebuild

[Spider]

I have 3 to cover the whole car, a 3/8" drive, a 1/2" and a 3/4"

 

The 3/8" I tend to use for 90% of an engine build, it has a range from about 5 to 70 ft/lb, it does everything in an engine re-build except for the Cam Shaft Nut, Harmonic Damper Bolt and the Flywheel Bolt.

 

I have to say, I hardly touch the 1/2" drive wrench during an engine re-build.

 

The particular wrenches I have are all Warren and Brown. The two smaller ones are the 'clicker' type and the big one is a deflecting beam. The clicker types have an advantage where left and right hand threads are involved, however on our Minis, there is only one of these. Some of the deflecting beam types can also go both ways (turn them over). Given the choice again, I would go for deflecting beam on all of them. They are more accurate and better to work with.

[sonikk4]

Irrespective of what type of torque wrench you get they need to be regularly checked for calibration. Bit my self badly when rebuilding the bottom end of my old RS2000. Set the torque as per the manual and promptly sheared two small end bolts.

Took it to work to check it out and found then internals had seized ( damp garage) however this was lucky. Now all of our torque wrenches at home are checked before use to ensure they are accurate. Not everybody has this facility I know but simple things like zeroing the torque wrench and not dropping it will help to keep it accurate.

Mine are all of the click type although we have had a couple of the digital ones at work which were ok when new but did suffer from calibration issues.

[Guess-Works.com]

For the price and also they have a lifetime warranty, I have and use daily the 3 halfords torque wrenches...

 

http://www.halfords....10151&langId=-1

 

These will do everything you'll ever need to tighten on a mini from the small 1/4" screws holding the timing cover on to the CV nut on the driveshaft.

 

I've had mine for many years, they are checked every year and have never needed to be recalibrated in that time.

[Carlos W]

For the price and also they have a lifetime warranty, I have and use daily the 3 halfords torque wrenches...

 

http://www.halfords....10151&langId=-1

 

These will do everything you'll ever need to tighten on a mini from the small 1/4" screws holding the timing cover on to the CV nut on the driveshaft.

 

I've had mine for many years, they are checked every year and have never needed to be recalibrated in that time.

 

Do you check them yourself or get a company to do it for you?

[Guess-Works.com]

I check them myself.

[skoughi]

Don't do what I did and buy one without checking that it can click in both directions! Dohh!! After reading this I may invest in a 3/8" one as well.

[RooBoonix]

I have 3 too. A 3/8" Sealey with a range from 2nm to 24nm. A 3/8" Sealey with range 7nm to 112nm and a 1/2" Halfords with range 60nm to 300nm.

I need to get mine checked/check mine myself

[Carlos W]

I check them myself.

 

How do you do that mate?

[dklawson]

I have a cheap click-type from Asia, a mid-grade accurate U.S. one, and a digital adapter one.  I never used the cheap one as checking its calibration at work revealed it to be dodgy.  The mid-grade U.S. one I have is accurate and rated up to 150 ft-lb so I use it on the heavy stuff.  The digital one is new to my collection being purchased about 2 years ago.  It is a 3/8" drive unit meant to go between a socket and a traditional ratchet or breaker bar.  I checked it at work and found it to be very accurate.  I use it for most tasks now and feel it was a good investment.

[Guess-Works.com]

 

I check them myself.

 

How do you do that mate?

 

 

I have an electronic torque adapter which is used only to check the calibration of my wrenches.

You could say, how do I know the torque adapter is right, honestly I don't, but as it is only used once or twice a year and the rest of the time it sits in its box on the shelf and if a torque wrench did go out of calibration I would just replace it rather than worry about getting it recalibrated.

[Carlos W]

 

 

I check them myself.

 

How do you do that mate?

 

 

I have an electronic torque adapter which is used only to check the calibration of my wrenches.

You could say, how do I know the torque adapter is right, honestly I don't, but as it is only used once or twice a year and the rest of the time it sits in its box on the shelf and if a torque wrench did go out of calibration I would just replace it rather than worry about getting it recalibrated.

 

I think I'll get mine checked before I start. 

[DJS911]

I have a click type - 1/2" drive and it's never been too big for what I've wanted.

 

I must admit it had never occurred to me about checking it's calibration though - until today!

[AndyR]

Teng do a good range, and there prices are reasonable.  As mentioned, always reset to zero to save the spring.  However i have a Teng 1/4" 5 - 25 that has been used at work among 10 technicians for the last 8 years (and i always find it set on torque) i sent it away for calibration last month and it was still spot on.  IMO tools are always worth spending a little more on.

 

Andy

[Cooperman]

And to think that back in the 60's we used to build complete cars using a torque wrench only for the bottom end (big-ends & mains) and, maybe, the head nuts/studs! It worked OK too.