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Torque Wrench

By dualsport newbie,
in XR600R & XR650R/L

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Grand Master

HeadTrauma

Posted
Posted

I would get a Craftsman beam-type 1/2" drive. I think they are well under $40 and you can get a clicker for ~$70. Most of my tools are Craftsman, but thats because they are good quality,easier to return if it breaks, and I cant afford MAC or Snap-On. In fact, I actually broke a Snap-On ratchet. I have hammered on my Craftsman and used cheater bars and its all banged up, but still very functional.

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JackAttack

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IMHO, using a torq wrench for routine mantainence is a recipe for disaster.

There are no servicable bolts outside of the engine that cannot be snugged up with a 1/4" ratchet.

Unless your going inside the cases, there is no need for a torq wrench. I have read more than one story on TT of guys snapping bolts using a torq wrench.

The only nut on the bike that requires any type of measurable force to keep tight is the rear axle nut, and you can pretty much crank that baby down as tight as you can.

For oil filter cover bolts, and other oil change bolts. I only use a 1/4" ratchet and hold it near the head, as not to get too much leverage from the handle. Snug them up and they will be fine.

?

?

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Grand Master

BWB63

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Craftsman = Sears has changed there Life Time Warrenty! You do not get the same tool back or even one like it! It is now called a tool exchange. Turned in a high quality 3/8 rachet and got a piece of junk back. I complained and the anwser was "That is the new program". I use a Torque wrench on Suspension work and Engine work. SomeTimes for the axle bolts but, the rest is just like

"babbs"

My torque wrench has only a few settings.

Really loose

loose

kinda tight

tight

really tight

broken bolt

I try to use the middle settings "Kinda Tight"

Riding "Kinda Tight", I spend my Money till it's "Kinda Tight" I like......

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AzMtnThumper

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I guess i'm a torque wrench fanatic ? I torque everything ?.....I know I'm a sick puppy (why do it the easy way when there is a harder way??) ? .

Seriously though, you do need to take into acount the presence of oil or never seize on the threads being torqued or disaster can happen(and usually does at my garage).

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Rising Star

resslera

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I'm backing off a little with torquing as I snapped a bolt on my oil filter cover on my old DR350 and on my new XR650R the dealer said I "stretched" the long bolt on the oil filter cover. As previously mentioned, if there is oil on threads, which there will be because oil always pours out the long bolt hole, you will damage the bolt or break it if you try to torque to specs.

On those small bolts like the oil filter cover, I am only using a screw driver attachment to tighten, that away I know I won't over tighten.

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TXBRP

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My torque wrench has only a few settings.

Really loose

loose

kinda tight

tight

really tight

broken bolt

I try to use the middle settings

Man, you must be related to my father-in-law, except he only has two settings. Really tight or broken bolt. I cringe every time I see him reach for a wrench.

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dualsport newbie

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after absorbing all of the feedback on the torque wrench, i think that i am just going to go by feel for now, at least unti i can afford to do it right, i.e. snap-on Techwrench. what a piece of hardware!! truly looks like a tool touched by the hands of greek gods. i have heard quite a few horror stories about over tightening bolts with a torque wrench and snapping bolts. i'm a little nervous to get anything less than the best.

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Dirt4me

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As a few others have said, skip the torque wrench and use your hand and your head. I'm a mechanical engineer and from my experience with relatively hard fasteners in soft material (steel into aluminum in this case) the torque settings from the Honda manual can be a bit high. Not to mention any wear caused by repeated loosening and tightening for maintenance and any lubricant you inadvertently get on the threads. It's best to develop a feel when you originally remove the fastener. Perhaps you should get a chunk of aluminum, drill a hole in it, tap it, put a bolt in it, put a wrench on it and really see how little force it takes to strip it. Good practice I would say! ?

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savageracing

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I'm sorry to tell you guys, but if you've been using a 3/8 torque wrench to tighten 8mm case bolts and all the little nuts and bolts, no wonder why they have been breaking. most 3/8 torque wrenches are only accurate to 20 lbs ft. for all the smaller items a torque wrench that measures in lbs in. needs to be used. they are far more accurate for all the smaller bolts, and if you can only find the torque specs in lbs ft, just multiply it by 12 to get lbs in.

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lrutt

Posted
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IMHO, using a torq wrench for routine mantainence is a recipe for disaster.

There are no servicable bolts outside of the engine that cannot be snugged up with a 1/4" ratchet.

Unless your going inside the cases, there is no need for a torq wrench. I have read more than one story on TT of guys snapping bolts using a torq wrench.

The only nut on the bike that requires any type of measurable force to keep tight is the rear axle nut, and you can pretty much crank that baby down as tight as you can.

For oil filter cover bolts, and other oil change bolts. I only use a 1/4" ratchet and hold it near the head, as not to get too much leverage from the handle. Snug them up and they will be fine.

?

?

I agree with the above. I've been wrenching on bikes for over 30 years. Rebuilding, restoring, racing, built my own racers. The only thing that I ever used a tq wrench on is inside the engine, heads, etc. All others are just tightened to an acquired feel. I have a set of stuby ratchets I've made that work great on bikes as they limit the leverage you can get on them. I have more problems with the phillips screws and allen heads rounding out trying to get them out than anything ever backing out on it's own after I've worked on it. But having a good set of tq wrenches is a good thing.

I have a full set. I actually did some testing on the harbor frieght tq wrenches. Place I worked at before had a tq calibrator as we had to certify all our tq wrenches (military work). I compared the Harbor frieght wrenches (like $15 for each size) and they consistently read well within reasonable tolerances and well within the tq range often given for fasterners. My HF 1/2 clicker reads the same as my sears 1/2 beam.

The single most important thing to remember on the clicker type wrenches is to backoff the adjustment to a loose state after you are done using them. This keeps the spring inside in a rested position.

So, there ya go.

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roadcam

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I agree about the 1/4" ratchets ... i got a 1/4" set as a gift once, sat in my tool box untouched for years ... one day I had no choice except to use it ... its a wonder I haven't worn it out ever since, really is a handy tool for bikes ... not worth a damn for semi-truck lugnuts, though ..?

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