Do I need a torque wrench?
10-10-2005, 11:51 PM
#11
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 2,028
RE: Do I need a torque wrench?
ORIGINAL: blueangelfightr
Wise man. I couldn't have said it better myself.
ORIGINAL: Derf00
Is a torque wrench 'required' no, but it's a good idea. Especially when you have heat involved. If the bolts are too tight or loose, you may get warping which will cause an exhaust leak. Some parts it's a necessity (heads/manifolds/suspension) because one bolt being too loose over another and it could cause some damage or just have the same problem you had before (manifold could get a gasket leak)
There's also the possibility of overtightening which could cause a crack. You can wing it on a the exhaust pipes (not the manifold). If you overtighten you may bust-a-nut or if you undertighten, it may come loose and cause a leak. $25 is not a bad investment for a cheap torque wrench at Autozone or Pep Boys. Why take shortcuts when you obviously want to make your car better?
ORIGINAL: nyjets10
The instructions for my SLP LM II's say i need to torque down the flanges on the h-pipe to 26 foot-pounds. I'm certainly not buying a torque wrench and don't feel like renting one for tightening the 4 bolts or whatever it is on those flanges. Can I just tighten it with a regular wrench or is it neccesary to torque it down? Also, can anyone estimate how tight 26 foot-pounds is?
Thanks
The instructions for my SLP LM II's say i need to torque down the flanges on the h-pipe to 26 foot-pounds. I'm certainly not buying a torque wrench and don't feel like renting one for tightening the 4 bolts or whatever it is on those flanges. Can I just tighten it with a regular wrench or is it neccesary to torque it down? Also, can anyone estimate how tight 26 foot-pounds is?
Thanks
There's also the possibility of overtightening which could cause a crack. You can wing it on a the exhaust pipes (not the manifold). If you overtighten you may bust-a-nut or if you undertighten, it may come loose and cause a leak. $25 is not a bad investment for a cheap torque wrench at Autozone or Pep Boys. Why take shortcuts when you obviously want to make your car better?
10-11-2005, 12:43 PM
#12
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 126
RE: Do I need a torque wrench?
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=search
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
10-11-2005, 12:52 PM
#13
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location:
Posts: 7,445
RE: Do I need a torque wrench?
ORIGINAL: nyjets10
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=search
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=search
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
10-11-2005, 06:49 PM
#15
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location:
Posts: 519
RE: Do I need a torque wrench?
Ok... your only screwing yourself. Tools are a lietime investment. dont buy cheap stuff. Also, that is what is called a torque screwdriver, for special screws and such. you need an acutal torque wrench... HD sells one for not to much at all. you need to make sure the wrench your buying covers the torque specification you need. Also, make sure it is name brand too. Cheaper ones are ok for occasional use, but they tend to not be as accurate as the more expensive ones.
Also, there are 3 different styles...
- Beam Type... cheap, usually around $30. They have a fixed bar, and a free bar, as you tighten the nut, the free bar bends pointing to a number on a scale. They are avery accurate design, however reading it leads to inaccuracy.
Looks like this..
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944642000
- click type.... this is what youw ill find most mechanics using. you twist the handle to set the torque, and when the nut or bolt reaches that torque, you hear a "click" and you know to stop turning. The advantage is you dont have to be looking at these straight on like a beam style, and they give more consistent readings
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944562000
-dial type... thes operate on the same principal as a beam type torque wrench, however the beam has gears and springs attatched, so that the torque reading appears on a dial face.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944620000
Out of the three, the dial type are the most accurat. Sometiems accurate to 2 or even 1%. Click types and beam types are accurate to 4%, which is fine unless you work for nasa. Beam type torque wrenches do sometimes lead to inaccuracies because lighting can create shaddos affecting the readout.
AS for brands, you can get away with Craftsman or husky. Id say avoid harbor frieght. Bot craftsman and husky tend to not be as accurate as SK or Snap on, but they are a fraction of the price.
Jim
Also, there are 3 different styles...
- Beam Type... cheap, usually around $30. They have a fixed bar, and a free bar, as you tighten the nut, the free bar bends pointing to a number on a scale. They are avery accurate design, however reading it leads to inaccuracy.
Looks like this..
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944642000
- click type.... this is what youw ill find most mechanics using. you twist the handle to set the torque, and when the nut or bolt reaches that torque, you hear a "click" and you know to stop turning. The advantage is you dont have to be looking at these straight on like a beam style, and they give more consistent readings
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944562000
-dial type... thes operate on the same principal as a beam type torque wrench, however the beam has gears and springs attatched, so that the torque reading appears on a dial face.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...id=00944620000
Out of the three, the dial type are the most accurat. Sometiems accurate to 2 or even 1%. Click types and beam types are accurate to 4%, which is fine unless you work for nasa. Beam type torque wrenches do sometimes lead to inaccuracies because lighting can create shaddos affecting the readout.
AS for brands, you can get away with Craftsman or husky. Id say avoid harbor frieght. Bot craftsman and husky tend to not be as accurate as SK or Snap on, but they are a fraction of the price.
Jim
10-11-2005, 11:30 PM
#18
5th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 4,536
RE: Do I need a torque wrench?
ORIGINAL: nyjets10
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=search
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
http://www.acehardware.com/product/i...entPage=search
This is the cheapest one I could find. (I'm not cheap, I'm just 17. I don't plan on modding my car too much I just wanted the cat-back so I don't want to get raped in the wallet by a torque wrench I will use to tighten 4 bolts or whatever it is.)
Is this actually a torque wrench because I don't see a gauge or anything anywhere...
