Date:         Wed, 30 Nov 2005 09:06:51 -0600
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: torque wrench
In-Reply-To:  <26f.f3b40f.30bf11c1@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

This corroborate the careful instructions I got from the staff when I
recently ordered Raceware head studs for the turbo diesel in my camper:

If you use a clicker, only use it after calibration.

Don't use a cheap one under any circumstances.

Or, use any beam-style torque wrench you want. I told him that my
Craftsman was over 30 years old, he said no problem.

Interestingly, he recommended the use of straight 30 weight natural
(non-synthetic) on the upper threads and under the head nuts when
torquing, and nothing else.

Jim

On Nov 30, 2005, at 8:31 AM, George Goff wrote:

> In a message dated 11/29/05 11:49:59 PM, jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU writes:
>
> << so i was wondering what recommendations the list had for a Quality
> and
> economically priced torque wrench? >>
>
> For economy and accuracy there is only one choice: a flexible beam
> type.  In
> fact, if you buy a sensory ("clicker") style You should also buy a
> beam type
> so that you can quickly check the sensory wrench before you use it.
>
> A proper beam type torque wrench is a thing of beauty.  It is a direct
> application of Hooke's Law which will last tens of thousands of cycle
> while fully
> maintaining its original accuracy.  In fact, it will retain its
> accuracy right
> up until the metal of its measuring element fatigues and it ruptures.
> No
> chance of using an inaccurate wrench there.  It does come with two
> drawbacks: using
> one correctly requires a little practice and when using it around (and
> under)
> a car it is sometimes difficult to swing the wrench and eyeball the
> scale at
> the same time.
>
> On the other hand, the convenience of a sensory style wrench is traded
> for
> certainty.  And, the cheaper the wrench, the greater the uncertainty.
> In my
> experience, the uncertainty of the cheaper-by-the-dozen Pacific rim
> sensory
> wrenches make them absolutely unusable.  Even if a cheap "clicker"
> wrench works at
> first and even if it's setting is verified right before it is used, it
> will
> sooner or later wring the head off a fastener whenever it fails to
> correctly
> register its setting while putting the heat to the meat.
>
> If you still want a sensory style wrench, spend the buck and buy a
> Proto or
> Snap-On.  Even then you should plan to check the calibration every so
> often.
> The calibration doesn't have to be certified, just check it against a
> flexible
> beam wrench or rig up a simple deadweight tester.
>
> George
>