Which torque wrench?

emandvee44

emandvee44

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As I will shortly be changing the saildrive oil (mentioned and discussed in a previous thread), I decided that the saildrive leg drain plug should be tightened to the specified torque . ie. 10 + - 5 Nm. However it seems to me that this is a very flexible setting , 5-15Nm, so do I really need a torque wrench?
If so then I intend to puchase a cheap one such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/BGS-technic...id=1427712221&sr=1-126&keywords=torque+wrench
I already have an adaptor 1/4" drive to screwdriver bit hex.

Thanks,

Michael.
 
Yes you really need a torque wrench as some of the threads are in Aluminum. Furthermore, if you are speaking of a S120 Volvo Saildrive I know it uses two settings, 20 NM and 40NM depending on the actual position of the bolt.
Cheap toque wrenches typically don't go lower the 40 NM. That was my mistake the first time. I now have bough a proper set that makes life much easier. It helps to have one with a short handle because of confined spaces you need to work in.
 
I'd wager incorrect torque settings on fasteners are the most common cause of preventable mechanical failure, and simply not worth the risk. I use a Draper torque wrench I've had for 30 years or so, and I'd bet it'll see me out. I wouldn't be without it.
 
It's preferable to use a torque wrench. I have 2. One is for half inch drive which I bought when Noah was a boy for tightening cylinder head bolts (which was a pretty common thing to do when I started my motoring career). Somewhere along the way I picked up a nice Snap-on three eights drive. This is smaller and as already been said, sometimes better for confined space working. Having two also helps confidence as it's easy to compare settings / calibration between them.
 
I was working in a helicopter 'garage' some time ago, they take torque setting very seriously, after tightening each bolt they had a calibration tool on the wall and they would re check after every bolt! not sure if that was just for rotors or every bolt.
 
I found that I had to go down to a 3/8 drive to get low enough settings. I got mine from Halfords, but it was some years ago and I am afraid I cannot remember how much it cost.
 
richardbrennan said:
I found that I had to go down to a 3/8 drive to get low enough settings. I got mine from Halfords, but it was some years ago and I am afraid I cannot remember how much it cost.
Click to expand...

I have a 1/2" drive Norbar for normal use but had (oh woe is me) to buy a 3/8" drive one to do the head replacement on my 1GM10. Some titchy bolts and low but important settings.
 
Which torque wrench

I bought a second hand torque wrench , bad mistake lent it out came back broken,it was made by Barco,took it to a motor factor they said it had to be sent back to Sweden it came back like new as it has a life time warranty.I do not lend tools out now as too many are broken or never returned they do not say sorry or even say they will replace them.
 
Having had my trusty Norbar "borrowed" but never returned, I bought a pair of Halfords Pro torque wrenches. I no longer need to use one every day and for a "hobby" mechanical engineer, the quality of Halfords Pro tools is fantastic for the money. I have 1/2 and 3/8" socket sets, combination and ratchett spanners all metric for my work on modern motorcycles and they are great. The one aspect of these tools I would not endorse tho' is the screwdrivers. I still have my set of "electrical" screwdrivers bought from Radio-Spares thirty years ago and they are as good as new, but I bought a set of flat and phillips from Halfords for household and garage duty and they're all dead.
 
emandvee44 said:
As I will shortly be changing the saildrive oil (mentioned and discussed in a previous thread), I decided that the saildrive leg drain plug should be tightened to the specified torque . ie. 10 + - 5 Nm. However it seems to me that this is a very flexible setting , 5-15Nm, so do I really need a torque wrench?
If so then I intend to puchase a cheap one such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/BGS-technic...id=1427712221&sr=1-126&keywords=torque+wrench
I already have an adaptor 1/4" drive to screwdriver bit hex.

Thanks,

Michael.
Click to expand...


which will upset the torque setting unless you can check it
 
emandvee44 said:
As I will shortly be changing the saildrive oil (mentioned and discussed in a previous thread), I decided that the saildrive leg drain plug should be tightened to the specified torque . ie. 10 + - 5 Nm. However it seems to me that this is a very flexible setting , 5-15Nm, so do I really need a torque wrench?
If so then I intend to puchase a cheap one such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/BGS-technic...id=1427712221&sr=1-126&keywords=torque+wrench
I already have an adaptor 1/4" drive to screwdriver bit hex.


Not worth getting a torque wrench in my view, unless you have previous for knackering things. Use a spring balance, you may have one in the shed, of buy one for less than a fiver. Calibrate it with a bag of sugar.

If you have other uses for the wrench buy the cheapo one and calibrate it in the same way against a spring balance
Click to expand...
 
If you are planning to keep it on the boat I'd go for the bending beam type as they have no sensitive bits to rust*. Also far less prone to going 'out of calibration', though more sensitive to operator error.

*I just discovered that if you use a mixture of Coca Cola and oxalic acid to de-rust your boat spanners, you end up with a lot of green (chromate?) salts in the bottom of the barrel...
 
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