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Torque Wrench?

houseowax
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Location: Brooklyn, NY

Torque Wrench?

Post by houseowax » Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:43 am

I'm about undertake a breakdown, inspection, cleaning, re-gasketing of my engine, something I'm surely unqualified to do. I've been reading up here and feel slightly more confident having absorbed all your knowledge and experience.
One thing though- I reckon I should have a torque wrench in my arsenal before this undertaking. I don't want to spend a fortune on one as I hope I won't have cause to use it that often. I understand I need a low-torque wrench, right? Does anyone here have one that they can recommend?
Last edited by houseowax on Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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teazer
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Post by teazer » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:17 am

There are so many places yu can get one, but why not go down to your local SEARS store and pick up one of these

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... 944690000P

They are adequate for your needs.

rustywrench
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Joined: Sun May 10, 2009 10:36 am
Location: Lake Stevens Wa

torque wrench

Post by rustywrench » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:23 am

Harbor freight has several and the one I would buy if I needed an inexpensive one is a 3/8 drive,range of 5-80 ft.lbs, cost about$22 + shipping and you can order it on line. Do keep in mind that their tools are made overseas and some folks don't like the idea supporting those outlets. Beyond that, they are a "fairly" well made product and should do the job for ya.
Small tip: When not in use, run the torque down to ( 0) and it will stay reliable longer. RW

cyclon36
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Post by cyclon36 » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:29 am

Get a craftsman from Sears. I have two of them (one for low and high torque). It may cost a couple of bucks more than Harbor Freight or another china tool outlet but at least you have the peace of mind that you can bring it back and exchange it for the rest of your life if it should ever fail you.

I think you'll find you end up using it more than you think once you actually have one. Especially if you like to work on your own car as well.

houseowax
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Posts: 198
Joined: Thu Nov 19, 2009 9:41 am
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Post by houseowax » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:33 am

Thanks guys- I really do love this place.
As a woodworker (hobbyist) I was deeply opposed to Harbor Freight and it's woodworker's equivalent, Grizzly Tools. Learning mechanics I find that many experienced people find HF tools acceptable quality and I've warmed to them and their impossibly low prices. Though I'm of the school that buying cheap means buying twice, in many cases these tools will be used infrequently and with limited demands put on them. I can't really justify paying over $100 to torque down a half dozen bolts.
I do wish HF's tools were made in America, but then I wish ANYTHING was still made in America.
'63 CA77 - Giving me all kinds of headaches.
'64 CA77 - Patiently waiting it's turn
'65 CB77 - A 'great winter project'

OldStan
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Location: Galt, California

Post by OldStan » Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:21 pm

cyclon36 wrote:Get a craftsman from Sears. I have two of them (one for low and high torque). It may cost a couple of bucks more than Harbor Freight or another china tool outlet but at least you have the peace of mind that you can bring it back and exchange it for the rest of your life if it should ever fail you.

I think you'll find you end up using it more than you think once you actually have one. Especially if you like to work on your own car as well.
You might check into the exchanging them at Sears. From what I understand they'll repair the ratchet heads, or more likely give you a kit, but the torquing part of the wrench is only warrantied for a year at max, at least last time I checked. That's the case with any torque wrench I've bought, including the Snap-On's I use, which are quite a bit more expensive. I have them because I used them professionally.

cyclon36
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Post by cyclon36 » Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:09 pm

OldStan wrote:
cyclon36 wrote:Get a craftsman from Sears. I have two of them (one for low and high torque). It may cost a couple of bucks more than Harbor Freight or another china tool outlet but at least you have the peace of mind that you can bring it back and exchange it for the rest of your life if it should ever fail you.

I think you'll find you end up using it more than you think once you actually have one. Especially if you like to work on your own car as well.
You might check into the exchanging them at Sears. From what I understand they'll repair the ratchet heads, or more likely give you a kit, but the torquing part of the wrench is only warrantied for a year at max, at least last time I checked. That's the case with any torque wrench I've bought, including the Snap-On's I use, which are quite a bit more expensive. I have them because I used them professionally.
I think that's correct. The accuracy is only guaranteed for a year and they recommend recalibration after that. Depending on your Sears and how the manager handles things, if anything breaks on it, they replace the entire mechanism.

The linked Beam Torque Wrench from sears posted by teazer is only $25. I'd much rather have that than the HF one. The entry level click style is only $80.

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