Topic: torque wrench

[apormarkos]

hi all,
so i'm about to dive into the guts of my 76 550- (teardown of the motor to get to those annoying oil leaks), and i don't have a torque wrench.  any suggestions on what brand to get?  i'm looking to spend $50-100 i guess, but if there are good reasons to go for broke, i can probably spend more as well.  or can this operation be done without (i wouldn't think so...)?  i'm on the east coast and i need this before this weekend as that is when i start on this project, so something i can get from a store would be nice (pep boys, craftsman, something else?)  also, i'm starting this with just a full gasket and oil seal kit.  should i get anything else? my teardown will stop upon removal of the cylinders.  any rtv or other goo i should get as well?
thanks,
apor

[scott_cb650]

I got this one for Christmas, it works well for me.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200263474_200263474

[Stevearino]

Dont be affraid to spend for quality.  I have a snap on that lists for $160, but its a beut.  It takes remarkably little effort to reach the torque requirements for internal equipment on these engines.  The last thing you want to do is break something after you have gone to so much effort.  Beleive me.  I just finished reassembling a 77 550f motor.

[hcritz]

Hey Apor...
You don't have to spend a bundle..
I have  a drawer full of torque wrenches...and what I use for critical stuff is still an old Craftsman bending beam.
The Click types are nice and very handy...but they can get out of calibration if dropped etc. Unless you run over the old beam type with a truck...it will give you nice consistent readings. It's probably more important to make sure the nuts and bolts are clean and lubed...washers too...to get a nice accurate reading than a lot of money on the wrench.
Just my opinion!

[apormarkos]

thanks for the help... never ripped one apart this far before. i've read many horror stories on these pages, i'm curious to see what i will bugger up before i'm done with this.  though i should get rid of the leaks in the process.
apor

[cd811]

yea..I just bought a craftman bending beam...my "fancy" one did NOT click when it should have and I broke a cylinder stud bolt

[Raul CB750K1]

I have both and find very difficult to read the beam while torqueing. You must read it completely perpendicular. I have had no problems with a cheap click type (20 euro)


Raul

[SuperVel]

Good luck apor.

I agree totally with Raul.  I have an assortment of torque wrenches.  I would trust a bending beam more than the kind that click.  I reserve the kind that click for times when I can't easily see the scale or I am working on harder metals.  I have yet to destroy anything with any of them.

Marty

[apormarkos]

offhand, does anybody know the rough range of torque specs there are on a 550?   i think the head is about 14 ft/lbs which is what i need it for but i'm wondering what range the wrench i get should be capable of.  i doubt i need to go up to 200 ft/lbs for example.
thanks,
apor

[jph550]

The tech library has torque specs for various components:

http://sohc4.us/node/106

I think they apply to 500/550 and other sohc4s

I found a click type craftsman torque wrench which ranges from 5-80 ft.lbs. I've found it highly usefull and spent less than $100 on it. It seems more important to have lower torque settings than higher.
I've never used a bar type torque wrench, so I can't compare it to those. However, I've noticed, as they state in the instructions manual, at lower settings it doesn't actually click. Instead it exhibits a slight "give/release" as the click mechanism starts to engage. Try it out on something else (besides your bike) to get the feal for it.
 
this is what I found on sale once for less than $100.00
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Mechanics+Tools&pid=00944596000&vertical=TOOL&subcat=Torque+Wrenches&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

good luck

[bill440cars]

               
                    I have 3 torque wrenches:
                   
        1/2" dr. Snap-On, click/ratchet up to 250 ft lbs. (bought in 72' when I worked at VW dealer)

        3/8" dr. Craftsman, beam type (for low torques as needed)

        1/4" dr. Brand?, click type (Dad gave it to me, I've never had a need for an inch lb  job.

[dave75]

There are a few things you want to keep in mind:

The beam type torque wrenches aren't more inherently accurate but the calibration won't drift like the "clicker" type.  If you want something that will last a long time and be reliable a beam type is almost unbeatable.

Use a different size torque wrench for the torque values you are specifying.  Using a 0-150 ft lb torque wrench to torque a small bolt to 10 ft lb is a recipe for disaster.  Try to use a torque wrench that is between 1/2 to max of the max rated torque to get the accuracy you need.  This is why you will probably need several depending on the type of work you are doing.......  This is kind of like a pressure gauge.... the accuracy is usually specified as 2-3% of Full scale (FS).  3% of 150 ft lbs is 4.5 ft lbs.  Using it to torque a bolt to 5 ft lbs could mean you torque it to 5+4.5 = 9.5 ft lbs (almost twice the value).

I have a Craftsman 0-150 ft lb beam type, a 0-75 ft lb Snap-On, and a 0-244 in lb Snap On that gives me most confidence in all the stuff I work on.