Torque Wrench Suggestions

[Richard]

I've got a Honda Hybrid car. Tend to do my oil changes myself as I've had work done before in life and didn't like what they did.

As I'm told, the oil pan is made from aluminum. The drain bolt, isn't. I've had a couple conversations about someone tightening down their drain plug (which has a crush washer) and stripping the oil pan threads.

That strikes me as a terribly inopportune thing to do. Enter idea of torque wrench. I've already got a 1/2" but not sure I need that for this bolt.... besides.... might be a good excuse to add a tool to the box. (I am thinking either 1/4" drive or maybe 3/8)

Not interested in paying $1,000 for one BUT, also not interested in finding one for $12.95 as I'd expect it to break on first use. Who makes a good torque wrench these days? My 1/2" is a clicker type, I like that. I see digital readouts now.... that tells me they have a battery. Batteries can die. Seems clicker style can go out of spec.... so all have some issues.

Thoughts/suggestions?

 

[Roadworthy]

The click type can indeed go out of spec. For that reason you should set it back to zero after use to prevent stretching the spring. I got a Craftsman at Lowe's for the lug nuts on my tractor. If you're worried about batteries and going out of spec you could look into an old fashioned deflection type. I bought a Craftsman about fifty years ago and it's still fine, it just doesn't go high enough for my tractor. Surf Amazon, they've got a BUNCH of them. Don't go by the drive size, go by the torque range you seek. Get one that has your desired torque somewhere near mid to two thirds scale if you can.

 

[aczlan]

Clicker type from Harbor Freight, 1/4" or 3/8" are going to work well enough for what you need to do.
Currently on sale for $5 if you are spending $50:

Or, just use a wrench or a small (3/8" or 1/4" ratchet) to snug it up.

Aaron Z

 

[5030]

Clicker type from Harbor Freight, 1/4" or 3/8" are going to work well enough for what you need to do.
Currently on sale for $5 if you are spending $50:
View attachment 780243

Or, just use a wrench or a small (3/8" or 1/4" ratchet) to snug it up.

Aaron Z

Cheap wrench and inaccurate as well...

 

[5030]

I have the HF Icon torque wrench and it's as good accuracy wise as a Snap-On (see Project Farm's episode about them). Nice thing about the Icon is it torques in both directions, the cheaper ones only torque in the tightening direction. I need reverse torque for pre loading my rear bearings on my 1 ton truck.

Nice thing about the icon is it's not expensive. I paid just over 100 bucks for mine with a HF coupon and it comes with a fitted case and a certified torque certificate. A cheap wrench is just that, cheap and not accurate.

100 bucks is chump change compared to stripping your drain plug and having to replace the pan.

 

[2manyrocks]

My daughter has a Honda Insight. There is quite a bit of discussion about the oil drain plug on that model along with the oil pan being integrated into the engine in a way that if you strip the plug, you basically have to replace an entire assembly that is very, very expensive.

So....a good torque wrench is cheaper than stripping the plug on these things. Some install Fumoto oil drain valves to avoid removing and installing the oil drain plug at all.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I guess I am old school. I don’t need a torque wrench to do an oil change. I have and had many aluminum pan vehicles. Snug enough not to leak on a drain plug is pretty easy to judge.

I would not do the fumoto valve. But again I am old school. Remove the plug make sure all oil is drained then replace plug with new crush washer and snug it up. Check it after a couple drives.

But I think a 3/8” drive wrench is a good investment. But only if you are doing more than oil changes…. There are many other tools I would put higher on my list. 1/2” is necessary since 80-200 ft/lbs is much harder to do by “feel”.

 

[2manyrocks]

This is a very specific Honda topic. I recommend going to one of the various Honda owners forums for a very complete discussion of the considerations involved.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I only use a torque wrench for head bolts. Sometimes even they are too big, like 1 1/4" studs, surrounded by bolts. I don't have torque multipliers, so I just tighten those really good. I did a dozer over 25 years ago. Head gasket was leaking and the water had washed a groove in the sleeve. I welded up and smooth filed it. It was a cat D7 with a 4 cylinder with 2 heads. My brother ran across it recently and it just finished clearing 100 acres. No head trouble. He talked with the guy that bought it.

 

[stumblinhorse]

This is a very specific Honda topic. I recommend going to one of the various Honda owners forums for a very complete discussion of the considerations involved.

Overtightening an oil plug is an age old issue, but mostly because dealer oil changes are done by the least experienced worker with an addiction to an air impact tool. I am familiar with this phenomenon as in my brand new dodge Cummins 2500 with “free” oil changes, they air tooled my plug thru the pan. Then they had to remove the engine in a 1 month old truck to replace the pan…

 

[2manyrocks]

When there are 468 posts about the magnesium alloy oil pan on Honda Insight central alone, that sort of indicates extra caution is a good idea. Search results for query: oil pan

 

[strantor]

you could look into an old fashioned deflection type. I bought a Craftsman about fifty years ago and it's still fine,

This is the only kind I really trust.

 

[kf4uda]

There is another approach that you could consider. Look into one of the quick oil drain valves. That way once installed you wouldn’t have to risk over tightening again.

Here is one example. There are several types:

EZ-104 EZ Oil Drain Valve https://a.co/d/jevFCdg

 

[Richard]

Regarding changing oil, tighten plug (with new crush washer) "and checking it later on"

Well... I need to crawl under there. You have to remove a sheet metal "screen" (for lack of better word), get that out of the way THEN as best I recall, you can then see the screw as well as the filter.

I'm guessing this screen is there to help aerodynamics? but don't know that. It certainly is NOT structural, it's pretty thin and very flimsy. Only four, possibly six "quick turn" screws hold it in place. It's very easy to get to..... if you have the car on ramps or a lift.

I rather try to snug it and move on. That said, I've never EVER used a torque wrench for a drain plug nor, spark plugs for that matter. I've read some horror stories about the pan.... so I'm debating on trying to be more accurate when I do it verses the old "tighten it by feel" method.

As has been stated.... it's maybe cheap insurance verses having to fix or replace a stripped pan.

As for the EZ/drain.... those intrigue me! I've seen those before. I don't recall how low the pan is (the car sits kind of low, I've scraped front bumper in a parking space before so tend to park short of the concrete bumps in parking lots)

 

[ericm979]

I have not worked on a Honda car in a long time but the other Hondas I have worked on (UTVs, motorcycles) often have complex oil change procedures. Our Honda UTV is the worst oil fllter change I have done in 45 years of working on vehicles.

I didn't use torque wrenches for spark plugs and drain plugs for a long time but I do now. Engines now are more complex and also lighter so they're easier to damage and cost more to fix.

The HF click type are actually pretty accurate, way more than you need for a drain plug. But the regular ones have a really hard to read scale. I need my reading glasses for that.

 

[Username Taken]

The oil pan is aluminum? So what? Ford is doing plastic now days (on the 2.7l turbo). The insert, the helicoil (time-sert, whatever) may or may not be steel. So? What?

The threads on an oil drain plug are purposely made to strip long before you damage the oil pan. And the plug needs to be ferrous so it can be magnetic. Drain pan plugs should be cheap if you waste one. Unless the Japanese Engineers got tired of rearranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic and invented a new drain plug. Always a possibility.

I'm taking my Wife, and her car, to the Dealer to get her oil changed. For the once a year oil change, it isn't worth me getting a very heavy, very awkward jack out, crawling under a car with no (0) ground clearance, draining the oil, finding a spot to empty the oil, getting it on the garage floor, most likely ruining a shirt, or pants, or both. Then there's the shields. They're freaking everywhere!

I was like you once upon a time. I insisted on M1, or another synthetic, in all my cars (still do on my CTD) but not anymore. No way. On cars, the Dealers (Ford, anyway) seem to go out of their way to make oil changes affordable, simple and easy at the Dealership. For $60 it just isn't worth it. And Ford's semi-syn oil is actually a pretty darn good oil. I wouldn't want to be turning 12,000 RPM with it for over an hour but, it's good enough for her car engine.

As to the grease monkeys? See what your Dealer is offering. Sometimes they're pretty good.

 

[KennyG]

I'm guessing this screen is there to help aerodynamics? but don't know that. It certainly is NOT structural, it's pretty thin and very flimsy. Only four, possibly six "quick turn" screws hold it in place. It's very easy to get to..... if you have the car on ramps or a lift.

This seems to be standard on new cars (at least Fords) for aerodynamics. I have these on both my Fusion and F-150. They are some kind of composite fiberboard. It's a pain on the Fusion because the only exposed place to put jack stands is also the only place you can get a jack under it. So I have to jack it up and put a block under the tires, so I can get the jack under the front suspension to raise it high enough to put the jack stands under it. Once they are jacked up and the shield is removed everything is great because it's as clean as it came from the factory. The F-150 has a drain valve instead of a plug. I was initially skeptical but I really like it. Secure and easy. Drain plugs are old school.

 

[2manyrocks]

The Honda Insight oil pan isn't a simple aluminum pan like you'd find on a 350 Chevrolet V8. It's a magnesium alloy that serves other functions as well.

The Honda Insight is low to the ground and it has a panel under the engine to make it more aerodynamic. I couldn't imagine trying to changing the oil without putting the car on jackstands and even then, it is a cramped working space making it easier to mis thread the plug when reinstalling it. All of our other vehicles are far easier to change the oil.

 

[WranglerX]

A 3/8 drive ft/lb should be more than suffient (10-80 ft-lb) ... But you need torques specs for drain plug also...Have done a lot of work on VW air cooled and head studs torque to 24-28 ft-lbs which is really not to much.... And yes my my 50+ year old 10mm socket is 3/8 drive...

 

[5030]

I would not do the fumoto valve.

Neither would I actuallu. One, they are expensive and 2, I prefer a frain plug over some valve that might come open.