Over torqued stock head bolts, valve lash changes!

[03kbcobra]

Who here has experience with 15 dollar harbor freight click-stop torque wrenches? I'd guess that accuracy with them is non-existent!

Well funny you should ask. I had major reservations of the use of Harbor Freight for torque wrenches. I did purchase a wrench let them know that I would be testing the accuracy before use. There is one of the finest standard labs in the Northwest where I work and asked if they would test the torque wrench for accuracy. It was well within specs. + or - 3% through the range. Standard lab uses a constant force application handle which eliminates the human error of use from testing methods.

 

[03kbcobra]

One of the greater sins with torque wrenches is storing them loaded. The spring inside, over time can stretch when loaded and left sitting. Return all torque wrenches to roughly 5% of highest scale. Spring will remain relaxed until use. Always follow specs of dry or lubed torques per vendor instructions.

 

[bsmith]

Who here has experience with 15 dollar harbor freight click-stop torque wrenches? I'd guess that accuracy with them is non-existent!

i torqued my headbolts with the harbor freight tq wrench, i think i paid 19.99, their on sale for 9.99 now.

i did not check the accuracy, but i did do a even steady pull on every bolt.

 

[bsmith]

I think the biggest error people commit with torque wrenches is properly 'warming' them up. My shop has torque wrench calibration equipment, and you'd be surprised how much difference it makes. To 'warm' a torque wrench up, simply set the wrench to its max torque setting, and break it over 3-5 times...lots of people just weld sockets to a plate and bolt it to their bench- you'll want something sturdy. On my craftsman torque wrenches, I think I saw about 10lb/ft difference at 150lb/ft setting between actual and indicated values when I took it straight out of the box and onto the machine.
Speaking of craftsman torque wrenches- I would reccommend their cheaper click-type wrenches. I bought mine a few Christmases ago when they were $50/piece, and I tested them at a littler better than their rated 4% accuracy.

I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means with torque wrenches- I don't even work on calibrating them. It's not my specialty. I just wanted to check mine when I bought them, so my shop chief showed me and let me know a few pointers.

i saw those on sale for $40 at x-mas time. i wish i would have bought one.

 

[asauer]

03kbcobra- the part about storing them set to a high value is true, to a certain extent. If you go to use yours and notice it's been left like that, just drop it back to the lowest torque setting and let it sit for awhile before use.

bsmith- I'm sure they'll be back on sale this Christmas. It's never too late lol.
But yes, they seem to be a quality wrench for the price.