I need another torque wrench. I lucked out replacing bolts for my valve cover but don't trust myself to tighten to 10nm. For the valve cover I tightening to snug then 1/8 turn more. Not very scientific. I don't trust myself tightening metal to metal. Something reasonably priced for the few times a year I may need it.
I'd say 3/8". Maybe this one? http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-...p-00931423000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2
It should do the job. I don't trust myself securing bolts to aluminum. Sears rant. So I go to Sears looking for this wrench. None on the shelf. Salesman says he can order it. Should take a week. I ask is it the same if I order it online? Yes. I go home and order it. Website says 6 in stock. I figure their inventory is wrong. I ordered it online. 5:01PM 5:03PM ready for pickup. WTF! So I go into the store the following day. Still none on the shelf. I ask the same salesman to explain how there are none on the shelf, 6 in stock and I can order it online and it's ready in 2 minutes. He tells me they must have just got a shipment. Yet there are still none on the shelf. If it wasn't for tools I'd never step foot into Sears. I know their tools are not what they used to be, at least they do have a large selection. And it beats Home Depot and I don't have time or money for Snap On. Next project t-stat.
DAMN IT! Instead of setting the wrench to 10nm, I started at 5nm to get a feel for it. Evidently this torque doesn't click like other wrenches. You 'feel' the click. The click I heard was the bolt snapping in half. The head sheared off. I was able to remove the bolt with vise grips. I don't see any aluminum coming out. I just hope I didn't strip the threads! 4 new bolts on order.
I did. I set it to around 50 inch-pounds. I believe 10nm is 89 inch-pounds. I'm going to practice feeling the click on my wheel studs.
They do and I can see how they'd be more useful in certain cases. Problem is you need to see the face of the wrench.
Here is my favorite torque wrench for engine assembly and that sort of thing: http://www.protorquetools.com/cat-30-1-103/cdi_computorq_3_torque_wrenches.htm Of course, for wheels, I use my 40-year-old Craftsman set to 90...
Now you know what to tell the boss to get me for Christmas. I figured out how my torque wrench works. The handle moves slightly once it reaches it's setting. You can't hear the click.
I suspect there was no click because the torque reading requested was so low. The clicking works best when the torque spec is in the middle to upper end of the torque wrench's range. Accuracy is also probably best in the center part of the torque wrench range. We don't use the beam type for much of anything anymore. The simple click style is perfectly adequate, but the dial indicator and clicking type allows you to observe the smooth build-up to the click. The newest $500 plus tools are digital read-out and incorporate torque angle capability. You'll need 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive tools in your tool box---$500 each.
The wrench is 25 to 250 in. lbs. I set mine to 89 in lbs. Not quite center but better than my torque wrench I use for my wheels.
Any good bicycle shop will be able to order torque wrenches from a Park Tool. They make some excellent wrenches for the lower end of the torque range. http://www.parktool.com/product/ratcheting-click-type-torque-wrench-tw-5 They make a deflection type wrench in the same range also.
