Torque Wrench Advice Needed

[V8BoatBuilder]

OK... need some advice here.

Tomorrow I am going to be installing my refurbished heads and new FMS head gaskets with brand spankin new ARP head bolts. Obviously these need to be torqued properly.

I currently have two cheapie made in china torque wrenches, a click type and a beam type. The Beam type was $5.99 and I know it sucks. It's basically a big breaker bar. The cheapie clicker ($14.99) is better, but I don't know how much I'd trust it for head gaskets. I have no way of knowing for sure its accurate.

Here are my options:
1) Just use my clicker. Pros: I have it. Cons: It is most likely inaccurate.

2) Rent one from Autozone for free. Pros: Free. Cons: Its Autozone quality. Its a free loan-a-tool, how many times has this thing been abused?

3) Purchase one from Sears: Cons: Costs Money. Pros: I think it will be most accurate.

-What would you do?
-Do any of you have a Sears torque wrench? How accurate are they? Any model you can recommend? Any model you HATE?
-Other options?

I'm putting in a LOT of money into parts and machining, and lots of my time. I don't want to re-warp the heads or bust the gasket because of a wrench. This has to be done right the first time.

 

[aldive]

I would get a high quality one.

Good luck.....

 

[Hartman]

I have a Craftsman click type, it was around $75. Can't tell ya if it's 100% accurate because I've never had it tested but I don't really have a reason to believe that it isn't accurate. I've abused it too, used it as a breaker bar (something you're not supposed to do with torque wrenches) and it's still works great.

 

[Alec]

Craftsman or Husky (Home Depot).

I won a $300 digital snap-on wrench and tested my $20 Harbor Freight with it. Verdict: the HF is fine for lug nuts, etc, but can at times be more than 15 ftlbs off.

 

[huskyfan23]

Where did you win the Snap-On from? I wanna win something! I also think you should use a higher-quality wrench. I've been meaning to get one. Craftsman for me!

 

[spindlecone]

Your tool should be of the highest quality, and last a lifetime, beg borrow or steal the best of the best for the job at hand, JMHO

 

[Hartman]

Your tool should be of the highest quality, and last a lifetime, beg borrow or steal the best of the best for the job at hand, JMHO

That's a nice philosophy to live by but realistically it isn't always possible.

 

[aldive]

Your tool should be of the highest quality, and last a lifetime, beg borrow or steal the best of the best for the job at hand, JMHO

Indeed.

 

[spindlecone]

Thats fine hartman, so install a big buck set of heads with cheap tools, is not my way

 

[Alec]

Speaking from someone starting out in the industry, tools are expensive!!!!
I'll try to make due with my existing cheapo tools and buy good when I can.

But yes, install heads with good tools.

 

[huskyfan23]

I'm getting a Craftsman Digitork 150lb. I was looking at the others and narrowed it down to this or the digital adaptor. Seems like a good wrench.

 

[dogfriend]

I'm going to go against the grain here and say the beam type might be better in this case. My reasoning:

The way that the beam torque wrench works is that you are able to determine the amount of torque by measuring the deflection of the shaft of the wrench compared to the 'beam' (the indicator). If the wrench was originally designed correctly and it hasn't been damaged then it should always be in calibration and will read correctly within the precision that it was designed to be capable of.

The click type torque wrench works by deflecting an internal spring until it releases when you reach the torque setting that you have dialed in. This type of wrench must be calibrated so that the spring deflection will equal the torque desired. It is possible for the wrench to go out of calibration with use (or never to have been accurate in the first place)


The beam type torque wrench is not necessarily inferior to the click type; it is just not as convienent to use. I own both, but use the click type more often; I keep the beam type because it is necessary to torque the wheel bearing on my trailer - the click type doesn't work well for this at all.

I would use whichever one you have more confidence in. Also, you don't have to be exactly within 1 lb-ft when torquing the head bolts-you actually have a fairly wide range that you can be within - so this discussion could be moot.

P.S. My click type is a Husky and it is better (and cheaper) than the Craftsman wrench that I had previously. Sears wanted more to calibrate the wrench than it cost for the Husky ($50)

 

[Crankcase]

Thats what I was going to add.....The beam type is actually very reliable of you don't bend the pointer at all....

 

[glfredrick]

I used to work in the Quality Control lab of a major hydraulics manufacturer, and one of my responsbilities was testing torque wrenches. Even the best can get out of whack after a lot of use, but the best work longer and better than the cheapies.

I do not recommend the beam type at all - though I fully grasp what dogfriend is saying about the beam type, but the problem is that the beam types have never been accurate in any test I have done. It stems from an issue in work hardening the metal of the wrench I think. You are depending on the stiffness of the metal to deflect the same way all the time, and to point accurately to a torque setting on an arbitrary scale. Most of the ones that people pick up for home use are junk IMO. The click types are far and away the most reliable for day to day use, and if you want a pointer model, Snap On and others sell some great ones (and by pointer, I am saying that the wrench has a built in dial with a pointer - not a beam with a long piece of rod that points to a scale).

I use both the pointer style and the click types for different applications. For engine assembly work - click type. For things like setting up axles - pointer types. With the pointer type you can see break away torque and measure for hard spots. With the click type you get virtually perfect repeatability which is especially desirable for head bolts.

Are the Craftsman wrenches OK? I would say yes, but they are like any other tool. They need to be cared for and lubed from time to time. It doesn't hurt to have them tested as well. Some industrial application near you has a tester. Doesn't hurt to ask around. Someone works there and can slip one in to do it for you. I used to do them all the time...

I currently have all Snap On torque wrenches but I fully grasp the issues surrounding price. One of my dial indicator types (a short 3/8 drive unit) sells for almost $400 now. I have click types in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2" drives and dial units in 3/8 and 1/2" drives. Probably about $1200 or more worth of torque wrenches, but I have purchased or had them purchased for me as parts of jobs over the years. In hydraulics torque settings are critical - just as in automatic transmissions and engine work...

 

[V8BoatBuilder]

Thanks everyone for the replies!!!

 

[huskyfan23]

What about the Craftsman torque meter? I just found out Craftsman torque wrenches only have a 30 day warranty. The meter has a year.

 

[dogfriend]

What about the Craftsman torque meter? I just found out Craftsman torque wrenches only have a 30 day warranty. The meter has a year.

One of the reasons that I bought a Husky instead of another Craftsman was because mine came apart (literally the twist part fell apart because the nut holding it together fell off) and Sears would not fix it because they only give a 30 day warrenty on newer torque wrenches. I am pretty sure that the warrenty was lifetime when I bought it in 1985, but did not have any proof so my only option was to get it recalibrated for $70 - more than it cost for a new one.

I do not recommend the beam type at all - though I fully grasp what dogfriend is saying about the beam type, but the problem is that the beam types have never been accurate in any test I have done. It stems from an issue in work hardening the metal of the wrench I think. You are depending on the stiffness of the metal to deflect the same way all the time, and to point accurately to a torque setting on an arbitrary scale

I accept your data that the 'click' type give more accurate results than the 'beam' type, but dispute your technical reason because "work hardening" implies permanent deformation of the material in the torque wrench - this should not happen unless the wrench is defective in the first place, or it was used incorrectly (overstressed) and damaged.

If you think about it, both types use a "spring" to indicate the proper torque: the spring for the beam type is the deflection of the 'beam'; the spring for the click type is a coil spring inside the wrench.

I wouldn't attempt to argue that the beam type is easier to get accurate results though; the click type is much easier to use and get accurate readings if it is calibrated.