Looking for torque wrench like or hate

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CopperNick

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So okay, looks like I have to add another tool to the shop roller box; a 1/4 inch drive torque wrench. I went looking for one from Gray Tools but they are out of stock with no eta on restock, plus $$$.

Ran a couple of search engines on the subject and most of the mfgrs are companies unknown to me, So............

Anyone on the board making regular use of a 1/4 drive torquie and from where did you score it?


Nick
 

64nailhead

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Dec 1, 2014
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What are you torqueing that requires smaller than a 3/8"? Nothing on your car, eh?
 

CopperNick

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Actually I am messing with intake bolts on my LS 5.3 and they all come with an inch pound torque value that is miserably low. I can do it with my Snap On unit but it is a dial and needle version. I want a clicker for the "Snap" that tells me I have made it without having half the corpse of a bolt hanging off my socket.



Nick
 

64nailhead

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Dec 1, 2014
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Dude, wrist tight.

After you’ve put 2-4 heat cycles on it then retighten them because they’ll be loose.

If you’re considering new gaskets for cathedral ports, then get the Felpro - they seal waaaay better and are much more forgiving to plastic intake imperfections.
 
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Olds G's

Greasemonkey
Apr 6, 2020
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Snap On for me. I have them calibrated by Snap On yearly as well. $$$ but I believe it's worth it.
 
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CopperNick

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Done deal, already swapped out the previous set of gaskets for a fresh new set of Fel-Pro's. Threw in a new one for the throttle body while i was there.

As for wrist tight, the calibration on my wrists, mostly due to age and excessive abuse involving the lifting and movement of multiple heavy boxes all at once when younger, is almost beyond rehab. They should have been revisited and rechecked decades ago. Plus which, the bolts on the intake are not all the same when it comes to amount of "twist" they seem to need to bed them. At least two take a little more "wrist' to get them to run down to snug than the others. The thread on the bolts all got introduced to a wire wheel at speed, so could be the threads in the head. This is not about bind, Did give the bolts a swipe of never Seize and, despite protests to the contrary, prefer that route when dealing with steel bolts being set into aluminum thread, even if an alloy. Likely to be more about galvanic action in the locations as the original bolts were just that, original, as in what the factory zapped into place on the assembly line.

ARP does make a thread chaser kit for metric threads and it may come to me having one brought in but they ain't cheap and this is going to be the only LS motor to ever cross the threshold of my garage/shop so the number of specialty tools that I end accumulating is going to be a small as possible. Thing here is that if I buy the chasers as I have need of them, the total cost of the first three or so tends to add up to about the cost of them all if I buy the set.

Anyway, any trust I may have had in my wrists is now only to the extent that they work more or less as designed. Beyond that, they are like every other joint and joiner that I own. Good thing Cola comes in plastic bottles because dropsy involving glass can get nasty right quick.


Nick
 
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tkruger

Master Mechanic
May 6, 2015
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I have one of those digital torque adapters that attached to any socket wrench. It came with 1/4 and 3/8 adapters. Issue is that it is large on the end of the wrench and hard to get in tight spots. I do have a HF 1/4 torque wrench. That seems to do OK but I am not working on an engine with it so it does not have to be perfect.
 
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WolfSS

n00b
Apr 3, 2022
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CDI Torque Products is owned by Snap On and is a more affordable option.
 
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mikester

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I needed an inch pound 1/4 last year. Figured I wouldnt have too much use for it down the road so I didnt want to spend big money on it. I bought one from Tekton. Worked fine.
A couple of years ago my old Utica 1/2" drive finally stopped clicking. I looked up companies that fix and recalibrate torque wrenches and theres a few of them out there. I called two. Both wanted well over $100 to fix it so I shopped around for a new one. In the end I wound up buying a Gearwrench. Got it through Grainger. Works well.
 
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CopperNick

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O-Kay. Tekton and CDI. Already took a peak at GearWrench as I have and use their ratcheting combination wrenches they work well. $$$$. Also came across an EPAuto version on Amazon that seems to be fairly close to what i am looking for. Apparently both it and the Teckton made the top 10 best list for tools of their type for 2022. Not exactly putting all that much store in a "best of" review but they do helpt thin out the flock, so to speak.


Nick
 
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