auzivision

Great timing on this thread!

Until looking here, I was all set to get the 3/8” craftsman microtork through craftsman club sale this week. Instead, I invested the money Ryan saved using his zip code on Autozone for an ISV and spent it on nice looking used snap-on. Attached are a few pictures of what $90 buys.

Now I have a 1/2” craftsman for lug nuts and suspension bolts and a 3/8” Snap-on for more delicate jobs.

Over the winter I plan to tackle the intake, cam covers, and TB/WP Porkensioner. Should I be able to get by with what I’ve got for these jobs or should I keep my eyes out for a good 1/4” one as well?

dr bob

The 1/4" drive is invaluable for the many 6mm bolts used on the aluminum engine. WP bolts snap to mind. I've watched more than a few 'expert' mechanics depend on their calibrated hands, even though the correct tool was mere feet away in their toolboxes. As the folks here mention from their aircraft experience, there really is a right way to do things like this. For most, the cost of even a cheap 1/4" clicker is a savings the first time you don't break a bolt or strip a thread. I'll also remind folks that there is a difference in tension between dry-fit bolts in old threads, in clean threads, and in lubricated threads. When you assemble WP bolts with anti-sieze or thread sealant, you'll want to reduce the torque setting some. The bolts need to go in "just tight enough" to seal the pump to the block, through heat cycling, and not fall out for at least 50k miles. You'll also want to always use new bolts, ones that aren't pre-stretched with distorted threads.

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In my spare time, I spend a lot of effort working on automation of process controls in power plants. I've got some pretty good software models built that make "tuning" gas turbine engine and boiler controls very fast and accurate. On a recent project, a vendor rep was working on his engine controls while I worked on boilers and steam turbines. I watched as he tweaked and fiddled, he watched as I modeled. Then we swapped. I showed him the modeled parameters for his engine, way different from what he had used. He then stated that he used a method called "TLAR" (tee-lar) rather than any mathematical models, and that it always worked better. I kicked him off the project at the end of the day. Moral of the story is that there are plenty of experts who have studied exactly what's needed for a particular mechanical situation, including failure modes. For the cars, there are plenty of folks who have learned for us, either through their own experience or with predictive models, exactly how much torque it takes on a particular fastener in a particular material in a particular service. The ONLY way to take advantage of that prior knowledge and experience is with measurable duplication of what the experience tells us. Simplified, that means you need a torque wrench for everything.

auzivision

If I read between the lines... it's pretty much say's if you want to do it right... get a 1/4" torque wrench... nuff said... Thanks!

Fogey1

A swivel head? What about the previous discussion of "off-axis" torquing?

Seriously. If I understand the "off-axis" issue (always a question), the geometry just isn't working for me.

Hilton

I spent around $150 on a 1/4" torque wrench that's accurate from 1 to 20 Nm (came with factory calibration data).

Its very handy.. water pump, oil pan, cam covers, hall sender and more.. lots of small bolts on our cars! Its probably saved me more than that figure in time not spent drilling out sheared bolts

Between that and my 1/2" I've been able to torque most stuff up correctly.. if access isn't possible, I'll use a bolt I can reach to calibrate my "feel" using the same tool that will get me to the awkward bolt - bit less scientific, but at least more reliable than "good 'n tight"

928autobahndreamer

It's a German car its "Gutentight"

belgiumbarry

clamp a similar bolt in a vise and try to torque it with the smallest key you have and check it with your torque wrench.... search for the max force you can apply with that "small" key as the good torque . Once in the car you can't do much wrong... no ?

SharkSkin

I picked up a Snap-On 120in-lb 3/8" drive torque wrench for next to nothing on ebay a few years back - IIRC ~$25 -- because apparently everyone wants the 1/4" version of the wrench. Bought the parts from Snap-On to convert it to 1/4" drive for $27. This rounds out my set of snap-On torque wrenches bought cheap on ebay -- a 70 ft/lb 3/8" and a 250-lb 1/2". Calibration was checked gratis by a Snap-On guy in his truck and found to be within <2% for each. Actually calibrating them costs though...