Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Torque Wrenches

[ATaylor]

I need to torque something to 18ft lbs. but my ft lb. torque wrench only goes down to 25 ft. lbs.



I have a inch lb. torque wrench. Can I just multiply 18 ft lbs. X 12 inch lb=216 inch lbs



My friend says that you shouldn't do that because it won't be accurate.



Thanks for any input.



Archie

 

[DHD]

You can convert 18ft lbs to inch lbs as you have calculated, 216 inch lbs. It will be accurate.

Actually, many current manuals give not only the torque in ft lbs, but also in inch lbs. as well as the metric equivalent.

Doug

 

[DGamelin]

I agree with DHD



93 250 2WD XC 354 auto 263k

04. 5 3500 4wd cc dully 373 6speed 85k

 

[Sandifer]

DHD is correct.

 

[WDixon27]

i use my inch pound wrench all of the time like that, if anything i think it is more accurate due to the scale of the adjustment

 

[ATaylor]

Torque Wrench Question

Thanks for all of the replies.



Archie

 

[QWaller]

Use inch pounds on my fuel filter nut, never leaks

 

[KOG]

Something else to keep in mind about torque wrenches. Click types are convenient, but have to be calibrated fairly often to be anywhere near accurate. The ancient beam types take more effort to use, but are accurate about forever. Chrysler engineering used to have a rule that only beam types could be brought into their area, click types were banned.

I use click types, but only on non critical applications where close is good enough.

 

[Erniek]

Click types are fine. I work in the aviation industry, and have for 20+ years. Only breakaway/click type torque wrenches are used. The old beam types are actually more likely to be inaccurate because of improper use, jerking etc... , and it is harder to read the numbers accurately as you are pulling on the wrench. I get my torque wrenches recalibrated every year, and very seldom do they have to be adjusted for calibration. Even beam type wrenches need recalibrated from time to time. Also, converting the numbers from ft/lb to in/lb, by multiplying or dividing by 12 is perfectly acceptable, and completely accurate. It is done every day in industries where life and death are in the balance.

 

[DodgeWarlock]

Here is a related question... ... Where and how often do you get a torque wrench calibrated?

I have a Craftsman microtorque (25-250lb)clicker, that I have had for about 18 years. It only gets used a couple a times a year, but that is going to change soon. I have always kept it stored unloaded.

 

[surfbeetle]

I have the same question as DodgeWarlock, I have the same Craftsman torque wrench. I always unload it when done and have had it for 17 or 18 years. Where and how often can calibration be done?

 

[swhalen]

DodgeWarlock and Surfbeetle:

I had the same question and poked around the internet. Found an outfit called Team Torque in either North or South Dakota. Sent my 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 drive wrenches for calibration. First time I had ever done it and one was way off. If I remember correctly, about $40 a pop.

Regards, Steve Whalen

 

[surfbeetle]

Thanks for the info swhalen. I'll look that up.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I've always sort of figured the precision was good enough versus the accuracy, i. e. if you torque a set of bolts/nuts to the same "click" it may not be accurate but precise enough.



But what do I know in an age when every vacuum cleaner is a "turbo" model :-laf

 

[Matt42]

Don't Go Cheap On A Torque Wrench!

Some years ago, I had a bad experience on a no-brand 3/8 drive click torque wrench. The wrench had an unusually useful range, about 10 ft-lb to 50 ft-lb, which I would love to find now in a quality brand.



This was in the early days of decent tool imports from the Far East, about 1976 or 1977. By "decent" I mean that Far Eastern imports prior to that time had been so obviously sleazy and cheesy that they were clearly junk. The newer stuff from Japan was starting to show some real quality. My father in law had received it as a sample from an importer eager for him to take it on as a retail line, so we figured it would be OK if not hand picked as a teaser. Wrong-O.



I tried it on a stud that called for 15 ft-lb. Broke it right off with never a click. Into the trash went the wrench without a second thought. The next trial was to have been spark plugs into an aluminum head. I used an old beam wrench instead, carefully held on the pivot.



To this day, all my torque wrenches are Craftsman, Snap-On or brands found in Aerospace shops. I own a zero to 20 inch pound aerospace beam wrench that has saved me much heartache.

 

[Extreme1]

I have a Snap-On 250 ft-lb clicker that is about 25 years old. I inquired with the local Snap-On guy about calibration and he said that he would get use of the tool for a week a year. He'd then offer to recalibrate any of his customers on his normal rounds. He said that he very rarely has to adjust any.