Open End Torque Adapters / Extended Crows Foot?

[pugglewuggle]

In working on aircraft, we often have studs that only have enough clearance to get a box end wrench on them when the nuts are not tightened. This is so that unless ALL bolts are loosened and backed off almost all the way, no single bolt can fall off the studs.

So, I regularly run into a problem where I cannot get a regular crows foot on a torque wrench/extension into the area to torque the nut due to clearance issues, and also cannot get a regular box end torque adapter over the stud due to the design to prevent nuts from falling off. I suppose a flare nut style torque adapter would work, but they're all box end that I can find.

I've tried torque extensions on regular crows foot wrenches and sockets but due to part clearances, I can't get it in there. I need something thin like a torque adapter.

Does anyone know of either an open end torque adapter or an extended crows foot? My preference would be a flare nut style torque adapter that's 12 point so I only have to work with 30 degrees of offset when positioning the torque wrench instead of 60 degrees. Yes, I know I can just cut the end off a torque adapter to clear the stud, but come on, who wants to do that!?

 

[Zewnten]

Bonney used to make some in 3/8 drive that were an extended crows foot but that's the only one's I've seen. My coworker has one of the torque wrenches you can swap out the head/ drive and one of the end types is an open wrench.

 

[visionguru]

Will something like this work?
Get an extender like in the serpentine belt tool, (sorry don't know the proper name for that piece), then use regular crowfoot.Of course, torque values will have to be converted.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Yes, I know I can just cut the end off a torque adapter to clear the stud, but come on, who wants to do that!?

Don't be scared;it's just a tool.


With the flare nut aockets that have a flexible female square drive, extension, and a 90deg extension adapter, you would have what you're looking for, except I haven't seen 12pt

 

[jjkrjh]

Maybe something like these-

https://www.zoro.com/snap-on-indust...ble-head-torque-wrench-j-100nmimh/i/G5867872/

or

https://www.srtorque.com/error-proo...ut-interchangeable-heads-for-torque-wrenches/

 

[snakeeyes]

Going to bump this up and see if anyone has come across anything new.

Have similar problem to original poster in that space is very limited on a turbo mount and need to torque it, but space prohibits using a socket and the head of my 3/8 torque wrench hits the mount and needs to be spaced out like a 1/4".

I saw a famcom 1/2" offset adapter that is almost what I need except it is 1/2".

Anyone every come across a 3/8" offset adapter or similar a serpentine extension that are short?

 

[ChevyEFI]

The two pack TZ2 or FZ2 from everyone's favorite tool company might do what you need it to do.

 

[snakeeyes]

Well I made use of the harbor freight serpentine belt tool.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Nicely done. I saw another tool that would have been idea, but the maker's site had spyware.

 

[pugglewuggle]

Going to bump this up and see if anyone has come across anything new.

Have similar problem to original poster in that space is very limited on a turbo mount and need to torque it, but space prohibits using a socket and the head of my 3/8 torque wrench hits the mount and needs to be spaced out like a 1/4".

I saw a famcom 1/2" offset adapter that is almost what I need except it is 1/2".

Anyone every come across a 3/8" offset adapter or similar a serpentine extension that are short?

Snap on does make the TTA35, FTA35, and STA35... all 3-1/2” center to center though. Useful tool. I do have multiple TZ1 and FZ1 pieces. They are nice. Still not quite what I’m talking about though.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[RedneckWelder]

Snap On had the widest range of sizes and styles for torque adapters that I’ve ever seen. Download their catalog and take a gander.

 

[klitzke]

Hey man, MAC tools made a set like what you described as an extended crowsfoot. I owned a set for several years but didn’t use them enough and sold them. I’ll include the pictures from my ad and hopefully the part numbers can help you find them on EBay.

Expect to pay a premium for them it’s not a very common set last I checked. Good luck!

 

[pugglewuggle]

Snap On had the widest range of sizes and styles for torque adapters that I’ve ever seen. Download their catalog and take a gander.

I own ALL of them. No joke. $$$ Still not what I need though.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[gigamel]

"My preference would be a flare nut style torque adapter that's 12 point"

Maybe?


Or?

 

[AdAstra]

To expand on the above post since it might not be obvious, the second picture shows a great candidate for this job, a 9x12 mm (or 14x18 mm for larger torques) bit/insert type torque wrench.

They make many attachments for this, and there are open, flare, and boxed ends that give a very low thickness overall tool profile. https://www.stahlwille.de/products/...ers/plug-in-tools/insert-tools-9-x-12-mm.html

More popular in Europe but some Taiwanese companies are also making them at much lower prices:

Torque Handle Set - Genius Tools USA

Get our torque handle set for versatile applications. Designed for enhanced comfort and accuracy in torque tasks.

www.geniustoolsusa.com

The inserts are also available on AliExpress.

 

[silkman]

Yes, the proper tool for your situation would be an insert torque wrench with accessories.

Example

HAZET-WERK - Hermann Zerver GmbH & Co. KG

Torque tool set 6290-1CT/29 ∙ Insert square 9 x 12 mm ∙ 7 – 17 ∙ Number of tools: 29

www.hazet.de

But if you're working on aircraft (sae bolts?) ze germans don't have a great selection of sae adapters.

 

[AdAstra]

I just found that Gearwrench has a comprehensive array of these wrenches and 9x12 and 14x18 inserts, in SAE sizes as well, for very reasonable prices (~$10/insert).

I examined a set of inserts and design and quality appears identical to Stahlwille, opening tolerance was actually better on the Gearwrench. They look like they are made on the same line, with very similar post-machining marks around the square. (With Germay’s fairly lax COO rules, this wouldn’t surprise me.)

Amazon has some if you search for “Gearwrench 9x12” (or 14x18). Gearwrench’s Torque catalog has the full list of PNs that their distributors can get.

 

[22george]

When working on aircraft, the torque wrench needs yearly calibration with a paper trail of the calibration.