Torque wrench advice sought

[KDCannon]

I've never used a torque wrench, but probably should have. I want to buy one that's easy to use & set. Like the ones that click when you've reached the set torque amount.
What's your recommendation for these for a small job ?
Going to rebuild clutch on motorcycle soon so not needing a monster wrench, just one to get clutch bolts at right torque when reassembling. Don't want to over tighten or snap one off.
Thank you.

 

[old]

Unless you spent a lot of $$ a click type is not what you want due to not being calibrated correctly. The sweep type is the best and are easy to used and cheap. Years ago I got a cheap clicker type and it didn't feel right when I was rebuilding and engine. I double checked things and sure enough it would read 150ft/lbs but only be around 75ft/lbs. Could have cost me a $2500 engine

 

[Caryc]

(quoted from post at 08:42:49 08/30/22) Unless you spent a lot of $$ a click type is not what you want due to not being calibrated correctly. The sweep type is the best and are easy to used and cheap. Years ago I got a cheap clicker type and it didn't feel right when I was rebuilding and engine. I double checked things and sure enough it would read 150ft/lbs but only be around 75ft/lbs. Could have cost me a $2500 engine

don't know much about types of torque wrenches. What is the sweep type?

 

[old]

Sweep type has the sweep arm that moves as the rod bends to measure what the torque is

 

[Ultradog MN]

I just have a simple Craftsman one which
has served me well for 45 years.
However, clutch bolts on a motorcycle will
likely be torqued to inch/lbs and this one
wouldn't be so good for that.

 

[KDCannon]

Thank you Old, my service manual calls for 84 inch lbs. torque or
7 ft lbs. for reinstalling bolts in clutch pressure plate.

 

[timcasbolt]

(quoted from post at 14:38:10 08/30/22) I've never used a torque wrench, but probably should have. I want to buy one that's easy to use & set. Like the ones that click when you've reached the set torque amount.
What's your recommendation for these for a small job ?
Going to rebuild clutch on motorcycle soon so not needing a monster wrench, just one to get clutch bolts at right torque when reassembling. Don't want to over tighten or snap one off.
Thank you.

've got a Harbor Freight clicker. Works just fine. Cost about $15.

 

[Rusty2N]

A clicker type wrench can be recalibrated. Google it. I have an old harbor freight clicker that I have checked here at home and was right on the money.

 

[old]

Yes they can be re-calibrated but doing so is not something a novice is going ot be able to do well if at all

 

[Caryc]

Your pic of your sweep type wrench surprised me. I didn't think anyone used those old type torque wrenches anymore due to more modern types of today. I don't have one myself but it's good to hear that they are still reliable.

I have a large foot# clicker type and a smaller inch# clicker type.

 

[Chilidawg]

Ultradog's pic of the Craftsman is a very good choice for the job. These can be found in in/lb or ft/lb. Last time I used mine I put a little strip of blue painter's tape at the torque value I wanted as I was using it at an odd angle.

They're inexpensive and consistently accurate. I wish I could say the same for my old Mac clicker

 

[Rusty2N]

True, it is not an easy thing to do. Takes time and practice. But once you figure it out not so bad. Cheaper than paying a shop to do it. At this age I have the time. Had to work on the patience part.

 

[kencombs]

I still use both click and bending arm types. the old ones i use to check the new ones. clap the clicker in a padded vise, attach a bender and pull to the clickers setting. if it clicks, all is well. if not, calibrate.
i've got 10-120 inlbs up to 250ftlbs versions.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

You can find my favorite old school torque wrench at

Amazon or Menards.

 

[chvet73]

Im wondering if anyone has a digital torque wrench. My main one is a Cratsman beam type Had it for about 50+ years.

 

[dhermesc]

My understanding is those types of torque wrenches hold 0 better than the click type wrenches. But they not as accurate when measuring to the max of their reading.

 

[stevieb49829]

If most of your projects are going to be less than about 25 ft/lbs, you'd be well-served by getting an inch/lb bending beam. Then graduate to a foot/lb one, when the time comes.

 

[JF in MI]

Yup, I have a Craftsman click type I've had for half a century. When I worked in an engineering lab I took it to Metrics to check on their tool testing equipment and it was still 'on the money'.

 

[old-9]

I have this exact wrench, 3/8 inch drive. It is inch pound rated, And I have never used it. Bought with other stuff at auction. joe
torque wrench

 

[glennster]

if you are doing finer work and need inch pounds, a dial type, altho spendy is probably your best choice. here is a link to one
poke here

 

[M-MAN]

I would recommend the CDI torque wrench.
It's made by Snap On and is consistent in
its accuracy. The el cheapo's might get
two right and the next four wrong. You're
better off guess guessamating than using
a cheap low range torque wrench.

 

[Bob Harvey]

You can also find 2 of them covered in dust on a shelf in my shop !

 

[MarkB_MI]

Note that some clickers only work in the clockwise direction. I discovered this when I tried to torque the left-hand threaded bolts on a differential ring gear with a Craftsman clicker.

 

[caterpillar guy]

I've got a snap-on 1/2 and a Proto 3/4 inch both click. I just think about the length of the handle and how hard I have to pull versus if it clicks it seems close and I guess I've tightened so many bolts over the years without a torque wrench I don't worry to much on most things if it is something I think is real particular then I get them out. Dad has one of the old sweep ones unless it broke. Not seen it is a few years. If nothing else just put a scale on the handle and pull till you get the tension you need for the torque no big secret just figure the length of the hndle and then figure the amount of pull to make the level you need. same thing for inch pounds just have to adjust it to inches instead of feet. So if you have a 2foot long handle and pull 20pound on it you have 40ft pounds on it. or 1 foot and pull 20pounds then you have 20 foot pounds.

 

[4play]

(quoted from post at 14:40:27 08/30/22) Im wondering if anyone has a digital torque wrench. My main one is a Cratsman beam type Had it for about 50+ years.

I have several digital wrenches and love them, they get checked for calibration at least once a year and they are always perfect. They are highly accurate across a broader range and they can convert or switch values (in/lbs, ft/lbs, Nm) etc, at the push of a button. They are easy and precise on measuring degrees for torque to yield too, also easy to read and they have easy to hear audible and vibrating warnings that will intensify as you get closer to the set value.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I use mine. I like it over the clicker torque wrenches.
I have bad hearing. My eyes still work with readers.

Use what works for you.
Send your dust my way,

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Geo, I have one very similar to the one pictured that I've used for 50 years with nary a problem. Best I recall I gave nine bucks or so for it new. It quit owing me about 49 years back. More recently I bought one in inch #s to torque a Briggs mower engine head the gasket had blown on, (factory work, not mine), and it worked equally as well. Not being too susceptible to label bias or peer pressure, I get along just fine with my junk, old Thorsen + mixed bag tools. ;-) gm

p.s. If I was just going to use one once I'd rent one from the local parts store.

 

[J.Wondergem]

For a motorcycle get a inch pounds wrench.

 

[John Garner]

The bending-beam torque wrench is the most reliable design but is generally subject to parallactic reading error (which means the reading appears to change as
the operator's position changes). The dial torque wrench design is, in essence, a bending-beam wrench with a dial indicator to measure the beam deflection,
but the dial gage is itself subject to a small amount of parallactic reading error.

The clicker and break-over torque wrench designs do away with the bending beam but rely on what amounts to a spring-loaded catch that stays latched until
the applied force overcomes the spring loading. No parallax, but very sensitive to variations in friction in the latch. The usual clicker torque wrench
design is also subject to mis-setting, especially in the models having several setting scales for different measurement units.

Digital torque wrenches usually rely on strain gauges to measure the deflection of a bending-beam. No parallax, and no friction variations to cause errors
but being electronic, depend on circuitry and batteries.

Finally, there's the torque adapter, which is a short torsion bar with a digital strain gauge gauge and display. A very handy tool, but the at-torque light
or beep is very easy to miss.

My go-to torque wrenches are primarily clicker models, and even the el-cheapo models from Taiwan have worked well for me. I also use bending-beam wrenches
when it's possible to get the measurement scale and my eyes in the look straight down on the scale position.

Bottom line, you should pick something that meets your needs. It sounds to me like an inexpensive 3/8 inch drive clicker from one of the fast-food auto supply
chains (or Harbor Freight / Northern Tool) would suit your needs, but the torque adapter might suit you better. I'm attaching a link to Harbor Freight's
torque adapter as a representative example.

If you do go with a clicker, I'll STRONGLY recommend that you cycle the mechanism five times (to distribute the lubricant within the mechanism) before doing any
for-real torquing.
Untitled URL Link

 

[John Garner]

I should add that there are two types of clicker torque wrenches, the more common micrometer type and the relatively rarer split beam type. My comments about the general characteristics of clicker torque wrenches are specific to the micrometer type and should include a note that the coil spring of a micrometer-type wrench can take a set. To minimize the risk of spring setting, the wrench operator should always turn the adjustment to its minimum setting before storing the wrench.

 

[4520BW]

I am pretty sure you can not use that type if an iso9000 work place.

 

[Ultradog MN]

Interesting post.
Thank you.
One thing I would add about most any torque setting is that it is usually given as a range.
Some examples - all relating to a 3 cylinder Ford tractor engine:
Head bolt torque 105-115 ft. lbs.
Main bearing caps 115-125 ft. lbs.
Rod bearing caps 60-65 ft. lbs
So unless a guy is working for Medtronic or NASA or some such you just have to be close.
By the way, as I was looking up the above specs in the I&T manual I noticed it gives torque specs for tightening the engine to the bell housing. First time I'd noticed that.
I always just got them good n tight and was satisfied with that.
Do others here torque those bolts on their tractors?

 

[M-MAN]

Head,rods, mains, and flywheel bolts. Everything else is just experience.

 

[hd6gtom]

Kd I owned a tire shop over 22 years. Every tire we put was
torqued down. I got cheap once and bought one of those stupid
beam style torque wrenches. After a lot of use we found it had
gotten weak. It was no where close, it was cut up and the 2
halves went in the dumpster. We had many clicker wrenches. 4
in the box all the time, 2 in for calibration for a total of 6
wrenches. The Snap On rep got to stopping by. He talked me
into buying a used Snap On Wrench. He had the ability to check
the wrench on his truck. I can't began to yell you how many
wheel nuts it torqued down. It was checked for torque many
times, it was the only torque wrench I owned that was never out
of adjustment. We wound up buying 2 more Snap One's and gave
the others away.

 

[showcrop]

If you go with the clicker be sure to wind t back to zero every time before putting it back in its case.

 

[KDCannon]

Much obliged for all he information and help for my question. Sure is nice to be able to come here and have so many share their knowledge and advise. Thanks YT.