Recomendation for a torque wrench for engine building

[Pontiac787]

Hi all,

I’m looking for suggestions on a torque wrench for engine building. Is one better than another in terms of micrometer click vs. split beam?

To narrow the field let’s say USA made and sub $200.

Thanks!

 

[Fedwrench]

Take a look at what Precision Instruments has to offer.

I feel split beam are more durable and hold calibration longer over the micrometer type and are faster to set with the thumb wheel adjuster.

Are you going to be working on engines with torque to yield fasteners?

If you are, i suggest saving your money and getting a Snap on Techangle model.

 

[Wamsutta]

If you have any TTY bolts, that sub $200 budget is out the window.

 

[Skin]

If you have any TTY bolts, that sub $200 budget is out the window.

What you talking about Merk? What do you think people did before all in one digital torque wrenches? Torque angle gauge costs $20-$25. If its simple like 90* you can use a paint marker and common sense. He said hes building engines not a satellite.

 

[plinker]

I like the tech angle wrench mainly for speed of adjustment, If you plan on doing a lot of engine work the price may be worth it.

That said, for around 200$ Precision instruments or CDI are the best deal going.

 

[Pontiac787]

Thanks. I work on old stuff and the volume would be very low. I have a PI split beam in 1/2”. I’ll likely pick up it’s little brother.

 

[tarmy]

Another vote for CDI...

 

[Indy_500]

Proto

 

[Tallpilot]

What you talking about Merk? What do you think people did before all in one digital torque wrenches? Torque angle gauge costs $20-$25. If its simple like 90* you can use a paint marker and common sense. He said hes building engines not a satellite.

Merk sees $200 as a reasonable budget for 3 combination wrenches. Obviously he would drop a grand on a torque wrench.

 

[Fedwrench]

Merk sees $200 as a reasonable budget for 3 combination wrenches. Obviously he would drop a grand on a torque wrench.

It's not like he would actually use it. He'd admire it, set it to different settings, fondle it, and polish it.

 

[jmhinkle]

I have several, all click style, from cheap to somewhat expensive that I used to build a motor a few years ago. I sent them all in for calibration prior to starting and the only one not in cal was the proto. The cheap HF Pittsburgh ones were all dead accurate along with an Armstrong, Craftsman and SK. All that matters is you have them calibrated regularly, not price.

 

[Flyordie]

I'd be ok with getting used as long as it had an up-to-date calibration cert from a known company.

Like this 3/8" drive Armstrong on Ebay...

 

[jkesselr]

I have several, all click style, from cheap to somewhat expensive that I used to build a motor a few years ago. I sent them all in for calibration prior to starting and the only one not in cal was the proto. The cheap HF Pittsburgh ones were all dead accurate along with an Armstrong, Craftsman and SK. All that matters is you have them calibrated regularly, not price.

I am going to have to disagree here. I have plenty of HF and admit that their torque wrenches are spot on, going torque value for torque value against my snap-ons that were recently calibrated.

The issue isn’t the accuracy, it is the reliability of the click. I have had HF or other cheap imports that were reliable at clicking and some that were not. Others went from reliably clicking to not being reliable. The problem is if it doesn’t click every time like it should, you can end up with over-torqued and over-stretched fasteners.

I’m not saying they are ****, just that you have to be careful and keep an eye on them. Just my $.02.

 

[usdemt]

I want to be the firs to say Milwaukee

 

[jmhinkle]

I am going to have to disagree here. I have plenty of HF and admit that their torque wrenches are spot on, going torque value for torque value against my snap-ons that were recently calibrated.

The issue isn’t the accuracy, it is the reliability of the click. I have had HF or other cheap imports that were reliable at clicking and some that were not. Others went from reliably clicking to not being reliable. The problem is if it doesn’t click every time like it should, you can end up with over-torqued and over-stretched fasteners.

I’m not saying they are ****, just that you have to be careful and keep an eye on them. Just my $.02.

What you are talking about isn't reliability of click, it's quality of click. If a torque wrench is calibrated it clicks at the correct setting every time. I replaced that Proto I spoke of earlier with the HF one not only because it was out of cal, but the clicks were too soft to feel absolutely certain about.

 

[Macneil]

I am a professional mechanic by trade. I bought a GearWrench torque angle 1/2 for the bigger stuff (heads and what not). I really enjoy it. It does not however like doing TTY head studs on Diesel heads lol. It goes up to 250 lbs/ft. It’ll do the first pass at 90* and then tap out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CrazyTools]

I am going to have to disagree here. I have plenty of HF and admit that their torque wrenches are spot on, going torque value for torque value against my snap-ons that were recently calibrated.

The issue isn’t the accuracy, it is the reliability of the click. I have had HF or other cheap imports that were reliable at clicking and some that were not. Others went from reliably clicking to not being reliable. The problem is if it doesn’t click every time like it should, you can end up with over-torqued and over-stretched fasteners.

I’m not saying they are ****, just that you have to be careful and keep an eye on them. Just my $.02.

What you are talking about isn't reliability of click, it's quality of click. If a torque wrench is calibrated it clicks at the correct setting every time. I replaced that Proto I spoke of earlier with the HF one not only because it was out of cal, but the clicks were too soft to feel absolutely certain about.

This is a basic demonstration of the problem with low end torque wrenches like Harbor Freight and why using one for anything important is really not a wise decision:

The Harbor Freight ones in particular are really bad for some reason. The Craftsman ones that Sears was selling a year ago are also really bad for some reason.

When it comes to engine rebuilds, you want something reliable and very consistent. I'd pick up a used Snap-on 1/2" click type that was recently calibrated (mostly if you were planning on using it for the one engine, and then selling it for no monetary loss), or go with the CDI recommendations. You don't need a digital torque wrench for T+A. Can do it with the manual gauges relatively easy.

I also saw some decent, consistent results from a 1/2" Tekton, but I've never used one personally.

 

[larry4406]

I bought Husky brand torque wrenches from Home Depot. Click type 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2” drives. Worked for me, easy to adjust, good feel, and nice click. Some/one are Taiwan and others Chinese.

 

[visionguru]

I had Harbor Freight 3/8" 5~80 ft-lb torque wrench for over 10 years. It's not working anymore due to rust. I brought it to Harbor Freight, they simply gave me a new one as "life time warranty" replacement.

The following are the results, comparing against a Powerbuilt digital torque adapter:

Torque setting (ft-lb) Reading #1 Reading #2 Reading #3
10 ==============> 9.8 10.5 10.7
20 ==============> 19.3 20.6 19.7
30 ==============> 29.2 29.3 29.6
40 ==============> 40.5 40.1 40.4
50 ==============> 51.0 51.0 50.8
60 ==============> 62.8 63.0 63.0
70 ==============> 72.5 72.7 73.7

It is most accurate at 40 ft-lb (about 1% error), 30 and 50 (about 2% error), at lower and higher end of the range, the error is about 4%~5%. Not bad for a low cost torque wrench, but we can clearly see the non-linearity of the accuracy.

My Snap-On Techangles seem all within 1% across the range, even though I didn't do a thorough test.

IMHO, if you are doing anything requires accuracy (such as engine work), digital is the way to go. The old clicker type, no matter the brand, is inherently not as accurate.

 

[CrazyTools]

I had Harbor Freight 3/8" 5~80 ft-lb torque wrench for over 10 years. It's not working anymore due to rust. I brought it to Harbor Freight, they simply gave me a new one as "life time warranty" replacement.

The following are the results, comparing against a Powerbuilt digital torque adapter:

Torque setting (ft-lb) Reading #1 Reading #2 Reading #3
10 ==============> 9.8 10.5 10.7
20 ==============> 19.3 20.6 19.7
30 ==============> 29.2 29.3 29.6
40 ==============> 40.5 40.1 40.4
50 ==============> 51.0 51.0 50.8
60 ==============> 62.8 63.0 63.0
70 ==============> 72.5 72.7 73.7

It is most accurate at 40 ft-lb (about 1% error), 30 and 50 (about 2% error), at lower and higher end of the range, the error is about 4%~5%. Not bad for a low cost torque wrench, but we can clearly see the non-linearity of the accuracy.

My Snap-On Techangles seem all within 1% across the range, even though I didn't do a thorough test.

IMHO, if you are doing anything requires accuracy (such as engine work), digital is the way to go. The old clicker type, no matter the brand, is inherently not as accurate.

Respectfully dsagree entirely. All three of my click types are accurate to within 1% across the board, especially if you pay particular attention to hand placement. Has nothing to do with click type style torque wrenches.

I love my 1/2" ATECH though. Those lights just make feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[visionguru]

Respectfully dsagree entirely. All three of my click types are accurate to within 1% across the board, especially if you pay particular attention to hand placement. Has nothing to do with click type style torque wrenches.

I love my 1/2" ATECH though. Those lights just make feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

By accuracy, I meant the accuracy of the actually "pulled" torque, not just the calibrated accuracy of the torque wrench.

For the click type, how fast the user release after feeling the "click" can have big effect on the actual torque value. The handle placement affects the accuracy to a lesser degree.

I've been using click type torque wrench since forever. After getting the digital adapter, I was surprised to find out the actually torque value can have big user induced errors. For example, 80 ft-lb lug nuts can easily be torqued to 100 ft-lb when I do "click" "click" "click" quickly. If I slow down when approaching the desired torque, the torque values are much more consistent.
The problem with click type is: the "click" comes as a surprise, unless for someone who is doing this everyday and has a good feel.

Digital torque wrenches give ample warning by lights, beep, and handle vibrations, which I think can greatly reduce user induced errors.

I have Snap On 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" techangles. I might never need the angle function. The 1/4" sure gives me more confidence when torquing down small bolts on the engine. IMHO, digital helps more with lower torque values than higher ones. It's not a big deal to torque a 80 ft-lb lug nut to 100-ft lb, but it's a big deal if snapping an engine bolt.

 

[CrazyTools]

By accuracy, I meant the accuracy of the actually "pulled" torque, not just the calibrated accuracy of the torque wrench.

For the click type, how fast the user release after feeling the "click" can have big effect on the actual torque value. The handle placement affects the accuracy to a lesser degree.

I've been using click type torque wrench since forever. After getting the digital adapter, I was surprised to find out the actually torque value can have big user induced errors. For example, 80 ft-lb lug nuts can easily be torqued to 100 ft-lb when I do "click" "click" "click" quickly. If I slow down when approaching the desired torque, the torque values are much more consistent.
The problem with click type is: the "click" comes as a surprise, unless for someone who is doing this everyday and has a good feel.

Digital torque wrenches give ample warning by lights, beep, and handle vibrations, which I think can greatly reduce user induced errors.

I have Snap On 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" techangles. I might never need the angle function. The 1/4" sure gives me more confidence when torquing down small bolts on the engine. IMHO, digital helps more with lower torque values than higher ones. It's not a big deal to torque a 80 ft-lb lug nut to 100-ft lb, but it's a big deal if snapping an engine bolt.

I've never had an issue with any of my Snap-on click types (inch pounds, 3/8 to 100 ft/lbs, and 1/2 to 200 ft/lbs) torquing beyond the desired torque setting after you feel the "click." The click types are actually quicker, and more efficient than the digital because you can very quickly proceed to the click instead of slowly approaching the target. If you push really hard after the first click, you can obviously over torque, but that's user error.

I make no excuses for non Snap-on torque wrenches though. I've never had good experiences with other brand click types. I wanted to semi-retire my 1/2" so I picked up an ATECH for a steal. Love the digital as a completely different tool, but the click types are absolutely equal to it and when I check the digital against them, all of them are almost exactly the same in result in real world application.

One of the reasons you're supposed to pull with a torque wrench is for smooth motion. It sounds like digital is a much better medium for you, which is cool. The really nice part about digital is the live torque display. The technology is terrific.

 

[camaross]

Agree! Precision Instruments has been my favorite brand when it comes to torque wrenches! Quality tools that are durable.

Take a look at what Precision Instruments has to offer.

I feel split beam are more durable and hold calibration longer over the micrometer type and are faster to set with the thumb wheel adjuster.

Are you going to be working on engines with torque to yield fasteners?

If you are, i suggest saving your money and getting a Snap on Techangle model.

 

[BarryWells]

I use the same beam type I used since the early seventies. It''s an old SK. Hard telling who actually made the thing.I'l put it up against any credit boy toys ( and have)

 

[Danglerb]

Use of any type of torque wrench is a big leap forward in a lot of cases, but the TTY stuff spooks me, so I would borrow my friends Techangle. Lug nuts and most other stuff HF is fine with me.

 

[dnschmidt]

I hate to mention this but Harbor Freight has just introduced Quinn digital torque wrenches with angle for under $200. Since I sell Eclatorq this doesn't make me happy but I'm an honest broker so I figured I had to mention this. I don't believe the HF ones to be from Eclatorq but the ones from Lowes certainly are but are somewhat higher priced.

 

[redragoon]

We use several Snap-On digital at work along with Stahlwille digital and some automated Atlas Copco units. We do Passenger Car transmission R/D testing.

They have to be calibrated regularly for accuracy, but the precision varies wildly depending on the user for the Snap-On. Stahlwille is better, but they are very expensive. The Atlas Copco units upload their data to our system, but still need constant tech support to keep working correctly.

Before these, we used manual and digital versions from Proto, Blackhawk, and Stahlwille. These also met our needs for the various tasks.

I would say the Proto/Blackhawk ones are similar to the Husky/Kobalt models I have at home. Probably even similar to the HF ones.

Any decently made torque wrench seems to be accurate enough for our needs. The accuracy is monitored by our calibration lab, but they really just remove any units out of spec.

The precision we get in our data seems to be almost entirely based on how careful the user is while working. Even the nicest digital units with vibration, lights, and OLED displays doesn't always help Magilla Gorilla from stopping precisely at 70Nm if he isn't watching. On the other hand, our loosening torque recordings show that a careful tech with a poorly made manual "click" unit can get very precise (consistent) results even if they are all 1-2Nm higher than the setting.

More expensive digital wrenches tend to have better precision, but most of the features are to help the user stop earlier. Mechanical units can be just as precise with a careful user. Accuracy among all of them tends to be within 5Nm or less of the set values. It's the precision (consistency) that we really need. The more expensive units help our techs achieve that precision more reliably in a busy work day.

 

[dnschmidt]

That's what attracted me to Eclatorq's line. They have what amounts to a "Christmas Tree" indicator system that has like seven LED's in a row that light up as the torque progresses. By the time most digital torque wrenches sound the alarm you're already overtorqued. Eclatorq's "Christmas Tree" lowers the potential for this. Not saying their stuff is perfect, for example their ratchets are too coarse, but this part they certainly got right.

 

[Tallpilot]

Redragoon is right. There is way too much operator error. It’s hard to exert continuously increasing force so most people slam their body weight down on the wrench. That would be my quibble with Eclatorq besides the crappy course ratchets. The handles could be longer which would help with fatigue at higher torques.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I have a couple of SO Torqometers that I have used to build quite a few two stroke motors and car engines. I prefer the ones with the follow up pointers. They are made by Precision Instruments. You can get the PI models for quite a bit less even thought the are the exact same thing.
http://www.torqwrench.com/tools/dials.php