Ron

Is it advisable to use an impact wrench on small fasteners, for removal only. When say a 13 mm bolt will not budge will the impact wrench just break it off? I know to start with the lowest power setting and work up from there.

I've always used just a regular ratchet for removing small fasteners but I'm thinking using a regular ratchet may be worse for breaking a stuck fasten since it just twists it. Whereas an impact wrench strikes it with lots of little hammer type strokes to remove it. Which method is best? Of course some penetrating oil would be used in either instance.

I bought a real nice Snap on 1/2" impact wrench several months ago and I can say for sure I should have bought a high quality impact wrench about twenty years ago. My old 1/2 impact was made in Taiwan or China and it was a piece of junk, very little power next to the Snap on. A powerful impact wrench is unbelievably useful, and makes removing large fasteners, especially on a vehicle's suspension a breeze to remove.

chris walrod

What type of material does this bolt fasten into? An impact wrench may break it off. When you say 13mm, is this the head size, or the bolt size?

Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems

Ron:

The decision about whether to use an impact wrench of some kind rests with the size of fastener and what its anchored to.

I use a 3/8"drive butterfly impact wrench to loosen and spin off small stuff and a 3/8" pistol-type impact wrench for the bigger ones. 12mm & larger fasteners get the 1/2" drive IW when its appropriate. I do adjust the power as required,....

Air ratchets can also be useful.

I' pleased to hear that you bought good air tools. Its a lifetime investment that you'll never have to do again and cheaper in the long run. I've had 2 Chinese-made air tools explode on me and one damaged my eyes.

Never again do I buy cheap stuff since I cannot repair eyeballs,....

kkim

Wow! Sorry to hear that Steve. Hope no permanent damage was done.

Ron

Chris,

When I make reference to 13mm fastener as an example; I mean the bolt head is 13mm. The bolt is steel and it goes into a copper insert that is swaged into the exhaust manifold, see photo below. I was trying to remove bolts holding a catalytic converter to an exhaust manifold on a Mercedes and I was having quite a time getting them loosened. I did eventually get them off after applying penetrating oil an letting them sit for 2 days. I just used a regular ratchet as I was concerned I might break the bolt with an impact wrench or twist it off with a 3/8" air ratchet.

Steve,

Sorry to hear you had a Chinese air tool explode. I just thought they were not that effective, efficient or whatever. I did not know they were that dangerous.


My ½" drive Snap On impact is the IM 6500 HP and I highly recommend it. It has a lot of adjustability as far as power goes; like 5 setting in the low power mode and 5 in the high power mode. My favorite new air tool is the Snap On FAR25 1/4" drive air ratchet. It is very small fits in your hand nicely. I’ve never owned a 1/4 air ratchet before and all I can say is I sure wish I had bought one a long time ago. One of the nice features of this air ratchet is that the air exits the tool from the rear unlike my larger 3/8 drive air ratchet which exhausts through the top.

For those of you who work on your cars, buy quality air tools. You will not believe how much easier the jobs are with them and how much you will use them.

Felix

I would have thought you stood less chance breaking the bolt with an impact wrench than with an air wrench or a conventional wrench or socket/ratchet. The repeated momentary torque of an impact wrench is more likely to loosen the nut than the continous torque of the other tools which will place a continous torque on the bolt, perhaps enough to shear it.

If the nut is corroded onto the bolt/stud, heat and some sort of penetrant is well advised.

Ron

That's what I was thinking and it sure makes sense. It would sure be a lot easier loosening stuck fasteners with an impact wrench. I may just get a 3/8 drive impact too since it's smaller size would make it easier to get into smaller spaces.