Torque wrenches are useful. I do not wrench all the time & thus rely on the torque wrench to get it right. For years, I had two of the beam type & those are great imo. Unfortunately as I have aged, the gradient is not readable so I have gone to the clicker type torque wrenches, one each inch lbs. & ft. lbs. Makes life simpler. Also, I always crank them down to zero when finished.
Do I really need a torque wrench?
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I have both ft/lb and inch/lb torque wrenches. I think having at least the ft/lb wrench is worth your attention. On the Jeep I don't often need them for simple jobs, but I use them occasionally. Doing a head without a torque wrench is not a great idea, I'm glad it worked out ok for you (for a year?) Part of that torque pattern and spec is to ensure a flat, and evenly distributed pressure along the head mating surface. One weak spot could definitely become the point of failure under heat and pressure. I think I did use them on my 3 hub bolts, and on the axle bolts. Mostly because I'm not used to the "feel" of that high of torque, and I don't want to undershoot it by a large amount. I have to admit that if I have a lot of similar fasteners to do (think ubolts after suspension work), I might torque 1 or 2 that are easy to reach, and then do the rest by hand once i have the "feel" for what the first couple were.
However, on my other car which is newer and has a very unforgiving aluminum block, I use the torque wrenches a lot more frequently when putting fasteners back in. On that engine I also select my socket wrenches carefully, for example, for a small low-torque (inch/lbs) fastener, I will select the quarter inch socket wrench. It is very easy to strip the block threads, and bust fasteners when trying to tighten little bolts with a 3/8 or 1/2 wrench. In fact, other than a crank pulley bolt and lug nuts, I'm not sure a 1/2 wrench has ever been needed on that vehicle yet (whereas on the Jeep I use 1/2 quite frequently).
However, on my other car which is newer and has a very unforgiving aluminum block, I use the torque wrenches a lot more frequently when putting fasteners back in. On that engine I also select my socket wrenches carefully, for example, for a small low-torque (inch/lbs) fastener, I will select the quarter inch socket wrench. It is very easy to strip the block threads, and bust fasteners when trying to tighten little bolts with a 3/8 or 1/2 wrench. In fact, other than a crank pulley bolt and lug nuts, I'm not sure a 1/2 wrench has ever been needed on that vehicle yet (whereas on the Jeep I use 1/2 quite frequently).
if you don't use an impact wrench on everything you should be ok for 80% of stuff 4.0 exhausts are a big pain you should use a torque wrench big it sucks
I use one to tighten lug nuts just so I don't warp rotors (yes it does happen)
some have no clue the proper way to use them when you start doing engine stuff you will need one
I use one to tighten lug nuts just so I don't warp rotors (yes it does happen)
some have no clue the proper way to use them when you start doing engine stuff you will need one
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1,038 Posts
Here in Africa there are very few mechanics in my town with torque
wrenches but they don't know how to use them. Someone told them
once what to dial up and they always dial to that. No one has any books
with torque specs and a lot of them couldn't read it if they did. They get
by on their experience and they are right about 19 times out of 20.
That might seem to be a good percentage, but that is why :
-- the holes for the clutch slave cylinder in my aluminum bellhousing
got stripped out. Couldn't find another one so it got rigged up with
a cocked bolt wedged in with washers for a couple of years until I insisted
on having the hole filled and re-tapped.
-- an engine rebuild of the original engine lasted just 10,000 km and then
the bottom end seized up. There went a fortune in dealer parts. That was
when I decided to get involved with my Jeep. I found a mechanic who would
use his torque wrench when I gave him the spec out of the FSM, but his
apprentice (who did most of the work) would always just laugh at the idea of
using it all the time. I couldn't sit there and watch him all day.
So, a week or two after every repair, I have learned to have my mechanic check
to see if everything is still tight. I am thankful that the engine I have in it now
(the 4th) has apparently never been opened up beyond changing a timing belt.
I guess I would say, download a Factory Service Manual and develop the good habit
of torquing things to spec. If nothing else, you'll have confidence knowing that it
was done right.
wrenches but they don't know how to use them. Someone told them
once what to dial up and they always dial to that. No one has any books
with torque specs and a lot of them couldn't read it if they did. They get
by on their experience and they are right about 19 times out of 20.
That might seem to be a good percentage, but that is why :
-- the holes for the clutch slave cylinder in my aluminum bellhousing
got stripped out. Couldn't find another one so it got rigged up with
a cocked bolt wedged in with washers for a couple of years until I insisted
on having the hole filled and re-tapped.
-- an engine rebuild of the original engine lasted just 10,000 km and then
the bottom end seized up. There went a fortune in dealer parts. That was
when I decided to get involved with my Jeep. I found a mechanic who would
use his torque wrench when I gave him the spec out of the FSM, but his
apprentice (who did most of the work) would always just laugh at the idea of
using it all the time. I couldn't sit there and watch him all day.
So, a week or two after every repair, I have learned to have my mechanic check
to see if everything is still tight. I am thankful that the engine I have in it now
(the 4th) has apparently never been opened up beyond changing a timing belt.
I guess I would say, download a Factory Service Manual and develop the good habit
of torquing things to spec. If nothing else, you'll have confidence knowing that it
was done right.
Just want to add my 2 cents. I use my torque wrench for axle nuts and head bolts, but for everything else I can think of (like valve cover bolts, pulley bolts, and transmission cover screws) I just do it by feel. I recently tried using it for some valve cover bolts. Had the torque wrench set wrong and wrung one off before realizing.
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