[arsenic]

Harbor Freight + torque wrench = epic fail.

[mammut89]

I disagree, even the cheapest of cheap torque wrenches are only a couple of percent off. more than good enough for hobbyists who are not launching things to outer orbit. it was not the wrench that stripped the bolt. it was the user.

[Phantom552]

I disagree, even the cheapest of cheap torque wrenches are only a couple of percent off. more than good enough for hobbyists who are not launching things to outer orbit. it was not the wrench that stripped the bolt. it was the user.

Maybe, but a good snap-on torque wrench is around $3-500. The price of breaking sh!t can eclipse that rather quickly lol. While the user of the wrench matters as well, even a good mechanic wil encounter exponentially more headaches working with cheap tools.

Tldr: buy the best tools you can afford and have the right tools for the job. It saves both time and money in the long run.

[arsenic]

I disagree, even the cheapest of cheap torque wrenches are only a couple of percent off. more than good enough for hobbyists who are not launching things to outer orbit. it was not the wrench that stripped the bolt. it was the user.

That's your opinion man. You're welcome to it. Okay as you say that a cheap torque wrench is only off by a few percent. With low torque values, like anything steel into aluminum. Was the OP's Harbor Freight torque wrench in In-Lbs or Ft-Lbs? If it was Ft-Lbs, a couple percent with low torque is a big deal. I have an expensive torque wrench. Two actually. One in ft-lbs, and one in in-lbs for low torque values. If you use a cheap torque wrench from Harbor Freight in ft-lbs for low torque values. Anything mechanical isn't your forte.

[jetroar17]

your next tool would be a torque wrench and download the service manual for the torque specifications.

honestly I dont think Harbour freight was the problem this time. Some torque wrenches make a very loud click some torque wrenches make a very subtle click you almost can not hear but you can feel it lightly in your hand.

Ok but I had the manual, the torque specs, and the torque wrench... The problem was the wrench failed. I know how to use a torque wrench. Serves me right for buying one that cost $20

[arsenic]

in-lbs or ft-lbs?

[jetroar17]

in-lbs or ft-lbs?

My book says 7 ft lbs. Something was obviously wrong with the wrench because it would not click at 7 ft-lbs even when I torqued it on purpose, but it would at other torque settings, both higher and lower..

I borrowed a much more expensive in-lb wrench from a buddy (he works on the airplanes I fly) when we fixed my old head. Converted 84in-lbs to 7ft-lbs and the job was done!

[Maverick.Marq]

My book says 7 ft lbs. Something was obviously wrong with the wrench because it would not click at 7 ft-lbs even when I torqued it on purpose, but it would at other torque settings, both higher and lower..

I borrowed a much more expensive in-lb wrench from a buddy (he works on the airplanes I fly) when we fixed my old head. Converted 84in-lbs to 7ft-lbs and the job was done!

Lemme guess the first torque wrench was a big a$$ clobbering on like this...

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11301.jpg

which will destroy anything aluminum long before it clicks, ask me how I know, and who I got a new cam journal from (arsenic)

[arsenic]

Lemme guess the first torque wrench was a big a$$ clobbering on like this...

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11301.jpg

which will destroy anything aluminum long before it clicks, ask me how I know, and who I got a new cam journal from (arsenic)

Yeah, that would be ft-lbs, for sure. I bet it's less then $30 too. Cause it's super awesome.

[jetroar17]

Lemme guess the first torque wrench was a big a$$ clobbering on like this...

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11301.jpg

which will destroy anything aluminum long before it clicks, ask me how I know, and who I got a new cam journal from (arsenic)

Heh yup that's the one. It's not a bad tool if you're trying to destroy the engine. It's all about perspective..

[Kreylyn]

From personal experimentation....


If your using a cheaper torque wrench, make sure you have only 1 hand on it, at the end, and pull slow with as little/few extensions/extra parts as possible.


If your "holding" the wrench on with one hand, and pulling with the other... you will definitely get faulty results.


If you pull quickly... you will get faulty results.


If you have multiple extensions, flex joints, variable angle sockets, so on... you get faulty results.


I'm not saying the wrench if cheap won't just give you faulty results, but I will say the cheaper versions will definitely give a much higher rate of fail based upon how you use it along with more extreme failures; and that good wrench can still give faulty results if used incorrectly.


Krey