Anyone lubricate a click style torque wrench

[Tool Pants]

I have several click style torque wrenches, 5 of which are Utica.

One of the 5 is a Craftsman but it was made by Utica. I just bought the Craftsman/Utica for little money so I do not want to spend money on it or send it to a shop. It is the one closest to the black plastic Craftsman case. The one below that with the ratchet core out is a Utica. It is the same as the Craftsman, except the Craftsman has a slightly different ratchet head.

Both of these are about 25-30 years old. Both have the same issue. You twist the handle to set the torque. They go up to 150 foot pounds. There is a spring inside so it takes a bit more effort to twist the handle to get into the higher torque settings.

Problem is my hand alone is not strong enough to go past about 120 pounds on the Craftsman, and about 130 pounds on the Utica. I bought the coreless Utica when it was new and it was not like that back then. The other 3 Uticas are newer so I do not have this issue. I figure it is a lack of lubrication.

Any fancy way to lubricate them myself without taking it apart?

 

[krusty the clown]

if you were able to take it apart to clean and lube it would have to be recalibrated. the end of the handle on a utica is filled with lead to keep you from taking it apart, you could melt it out to do so but it's best left to a repair facility. IIRC when matco sold the utica brand TW's they used angle repair in beckley, wv.

 

[Tool Pants]

I already know this. I also thought the plug on the end of the handle was lead, but it could also be another metal such as tin. This is why I cannot put in a lube from that direction.

The poor Utica company has been sold and resold so many times over the years. It is now owned by Apex-Utica which is owned by Cooper which is owned by Stanley. I think. Hard to keep up.

 

[chammyman]

dunk it in ATF for a few days

 

[Tool Pants]

Ready to go. Removed the pin that holds the head to the body of the wrench. The body of the torque wrench is really just a hollow tube, with a spring and other stuff inside the tube.

Time to pour something down that tube.

Never owned a vehicle with an automatic transmission....

 

[Theo]

That oil won't go rancid will it?

 

[billymade]

Wouldn't mineral oil be better? It won't get rancid...

 

[cruiser808]

Ready to go. Removed the pin that holds the head to the body of the wrench. The body of the torque wrench is really just a hollow tube, with a spring and other stuff inside the tube.

Time to pour something down that tube.

Never owned a vehicle with an automatic transmission....

Ya know, I wouldn't be messing with this stuff. There are more qualified pros that fix torque wrenches and this is not an area that you want to guess with. Stick to what you're really good at and know your limitations. I've learned form experience.

 

[Tool Pants]

I do think olive oil would smell better. Extra Virgin of course.

I have, after all, use butter and bacon grease in the past on other projects....

 

[Tool Pants]

Filled the body up with kerosene. Let it sit. Dumped it out. Repeat.

Let it air dry for 2 days.

Filled the body up with ATF. Let it sit for a few days. Dumped it out and put the body upside down for a few days so the excess would drain out.

Put it back together. It works. Did I screw up the calibration - I don't know. You adjust the calibration by melting away the lead/tin plug on the end of the handle and turn something inside, but I did not touch that. I will test it against my other torque wrenches.

I can now twist the handle up to the full 150 foot pound limit. It still takes more effort then I remembered from the old days. But then I am just getting older....

 

[rhandwor]

I already know this. I also thought the plug on the end of the handle was lead, but it could also be another metal such as tin. This is why I cannot put in a lube from that direction.

The poor Utica company has been sold and resold so many times over the years. It is now owned by Apex-Utica which is owned by Cooper which is owned by Stanley. I think. Hard to keep up.

I want to adjust my wrench they sell a plug for the end I was thinking of drilling a 3/32 hole adjusting then installing a allen head plug after cleaning and removing the chips.

 

[Fcvapor05]

I do think olive oil would smell better. Extra Virgin of course.

I have, after all, use butter and bacon grease in the past on other projects....

Please tell me you're not filling ratchet heads with butter