Torque Wrench from eBay ?

[xdexx]

Is this any good, considering the low price:

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150010236805

Cheers, xdexx

[chanito]

Seems good for ocasional use, and the price is right ;D

[jedisabre7]

REMEMBER! A torque wrench is a precision tool. Not even Craftsman guarantees that it will be calibrated correctly. Cheap IS NOT necessarily the way to go. After you recieve your torque wrench I would check it very accuracy. Baaaad things can happen with a uncalibrated torque wrench. Oh, and DO NOT by one from Northern Tool.

[chanito]

As a professional engine builder i can recommend tighten every bolt with a torque wrench, and since most use a spring to activate the torque release, it can become weak with frequent use or by letting your torque wrench with a high torque setting in your tool box, you should always relieve the tension on the spring by setting the wrench on the weakest setting before putting it away, but for occasional use any torque wrench should do, as long as you use it properly, i doubt anyone here uses their torque wrench as often as i do, and i calibrate mine once a year, and in all the years i have used mine only once one (the big 1/2 inch one) needed a new spring.
The problem is that most torque wrenches when they go bad, will allow you to over torque the fastener, stretching it above its elasticity limit, rendering the bolt useless, but if you care for your tool, it should not go out of adjustment for years. So just remember:
1.- for any torque wrench to work properly it has to be handle a proper way, that is your force hand on the handle pivot (the handle should have a force point, usually a pin were the handle can pivot freely), and the rest hand on top of the end were the fastener is so if will not get out of place messing your torque readings
2.- Always store the wrench with the spring without any tension, that is the torque at the lowest possible setting
3.- And unless you do a LOT of torquing do not expend a lot of money on an expensive tool, just get one with the correct range and use it properly

[timberwolfmadcat]

Or just buy an el cheapo one with the bending bar ;D

[chanito]

timberwolfmadcat said:

Or just buy an el cheapo one with the bending bar ;D

or you can do that ;D ;D

[honda919rider]

[chanito]

I agree, torque everybolt that needs tightening, but if you have a slight off torque wrench you will tightened to a 100 inch pound instead of 96, not such a big of a deal on seldom remove fasteners, but if you do not use a torque wrench and gorillize the bolt to say 200 inch pounds then you will have a problem SO USE A TORQUE WRENCH, AND USE IT PROPERLY

[Dandy Dan]

Nice pic Honda919, I did that to my valve cover bolts, thankfully I noticed the problem before the bolts snapped and it became a lot worse.

[skuuter]

Still have my trusty old Snap-on click-type left over from race car/ motorcycle engine building days....the company will still check and recalibrate free for life. I would advise "buy the best you can afford" if doing your own engine work!!!

[scooterman]

Im kind of new to all of this. But hod do you use a torque wrench ? I mean how do you know it tightend to were you want it ?

[Kami no Chiizu]

It should click when you reach the proper amount of torque. At least, that's what all the one's I've messed with do.

I just use mine to hit things with when I'm angry...

[chanito]

???there are different kinds of torque wrenches, one is called a beam type and it has a small diameter rod parallel to the handle that bents when you are torquing a fastener, and a scale near the handle, so you just tighten until the rod bents to the torque you want. Other has a gauge in the handle, so as you torque a fastener the gauge will give you a reading and you just keep tightening until you get the reading you want. The easier to use, have a spring and a detente, you adjust the spring tension to the desire torque and then tighten the fastener until the spring will release the detente and you will hear a click and feel a release on the handle. There is another called a torque angle wrench, and it has some kind of a dial that reads in degrees, and you just turn the wrench the desired amount of degrees you want (like a 1/4 turn is 90 degrees) and finally you have the torque driver which are like a screwdriver but once you get to the desired torque it just stops tightening ;D

[kirk]

I bought one from "Unlimitedtoolz" on Ebay. Great one ! From 10 to 80 ft/lbs or 120 to 960 inch/lbs. Worth less than 20 $ u.s. ! Paid it 40$ cdn with shipping. Did an oil change, variator mod and seems to do the job.