Torque wrench question

[PatricdeBoer]

I have recently decided that the torque wrench is the most godly tool ever. The longer handle makes loosening stuff so much easier. Yesterday a friend told me that I will screw up the wrenches internals by using it to loosen stuff. Its a harbor frieght click style wrench. It doesn't click at any torque when you are loosening something. Does this sound right?

[rrgrassi]

Yes, you can mess up a torque wrench if used for loosening, or due to rust or thread imperfections, it will take more torque to loosen, and the wrench will release, due to torque amount being the same or exceeding what is on the dial. A torque wrench is designed for tightening only. And, ya gotta remember there are left handed threads that do tighten CCW.

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by PatricdeBoer

Yesterday a friend told me that I will screw up the wrenches internals by using it to loosen stuff.

That's a pretty generally accepted theory.

[MrOnline]

you should never ever use it for anything but tightning to the spesific Torque....

Not only can you damage it, but most likely your will mess up the torque settings so it wont be accurate....

Get urself a "lazy arm" wrench.... not sure if thats the proper translation, in norway it's called latmansarm it's like 50cm wrench just for loosning nuts and stuff...

[Eskimo]

Originally Posted by PatricdeBoer

The longer handle makes loosening stuff so much easier.

I've found that a flex-head 1/2" drive ratchet with a longish handle - something like this - comes in pretty handy .
It's not the equal of a monster breaker bar, but the handle's long enough to provide a little extra "oomph", and the flex head makes it, well, flexible.

With a drive extension, it works great for rotating the OM617 (valve adjustments, accessing the drain plug on the torque converter, etc.).

I save the torque wrench for torquing things to specification.

[dannym]

Get a breaker bar and save your torque wrench.

DAnny

[PatricdeBoer]

Thanks, you guys probably just saved my torque wrench. I guess I'll go and try to find one of those long handled ratchets.

[dannym]

Originally Posted by PatricdeBoer

Thanks, you guys probably just saved my torque wrench. I guess I'll go and try to find one of those long handled ratchets.

You don't want a long handled wratchet, you want a BREAKER BAR.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=37150

[Brian Carlton]

Originally Posted by PatricdeBoer

Thanks, you guys probably just saved my torque wrench. I guess I'll go and try to find one of those long handled ratchets.

Follow what Danny told you.

The 18" bar is fabulous for just about everything, including brake caliper bolts.

[barry123400]

The breaker bar should be a known fairly good brand item. If it lets go when you are using it you might hurt yourself. That does not mean you have to spend a fortune but just use common sense. I would say no taiwan specials for this tool. Lots of pretty good brands out there at reasonable prices.

[engatwork]

I use a stainless steel pipe slide over a 1/2" drive breaker bar to break the crankshaft bolt loose. Works real well. When tightening I borrow a 3/4" drive torque wrench from work that is good for around 600 Nm. It is a very heavy tool. I have found with torque wrenches that if you can find one about twice the capacity of what you are trying to torque it makes the job alot easier.

"Get urself a "lazy arm" wrench.... not sure if thats the proper translation,"
I believe that "Bitc* bar" is the proper term. A piece of pipe over a ratchet will also work very well.

Torque wrenches are for, and ONLY for, torquing bolts/nuts to specs. Removing fasteners will mess up the calibration. You need to recalibrate it or mark it as inaccurate.

[SD Blue]

It probably won't be long before using it as a breaker bar will be all it is good for. I had one for about a year and it became worthless for use as a torque wrench. Even more worthless was the ratchet head. (Stored in the protective styrofoam and only used to set torque.)

Northern Tool has one made by Titan (yes, I know, made in Taiwan) for the same money and about ten times the quality. In fact, the ratchet is better than most American made products.

[leathermang]

This may not apply to click type...
but my old torsion bar type reads in both directions...
I always use it when taking head bolts loose to see if they are all reading about the same amount..... that is not a direct indication of the pull down each is providing... sometimes it does indicate that a head gasket was allowing fluid to get to the threads and cause corrosion.... I think that if you don't pull on it more than the calibration is meant for it will make any difference.... anyway, how would one torque left handed threads if you can't use it the other direction?
It is just a calibrated spring.... and anyway torques are always given for bolts in ' ranges'... due to the usual inaccuracy of the tools AND the user technique..
Actually torque wrenche's main value comes not in how accurate the readings are but in being able to put more even pulldown onto the bolts and thus the gaskets being held....

I must point out that there are two types of torque specs. Dry and lubed.

If you put lube (Anti-seize, oil, graphite, WD-40, etc) on a fastener, you will get more clamping force per ft.lb of torque than a dry fastener. Around 60% of torquing a dry bolt is overcoming friction.

HERE is a great .PDF document for different grade bolts.