Torque Wrench Suggestions

[ddbackhoe]

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 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)

Do you have a mobile tool dealer in the area? Check with them for pricing and see if they can perform torque wrench calibrations too. Our tool guy does ours as a freebie.
Of course, a periodic check will let you know if the wrench needs a calibration.

How to Check the Calibration of a Clicker-Style Torque Wrench

It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this that torque wrenches are calibrated and that calibration should be checked, at least occasionally. According to some experts, torque wrench …

www.onallcylinders.com

EZ/drain - No thanks, old school skeptic

 

[5030]

I only use a torque wrench for head bolts.

N ot me. If I have a specific torque spec, I always use it and of course wet or dry torque as applicable. Have the torque specs for my tractors and I adhere to then, always. Nice to have the shop manuals. I own a Proto 3/4 drive wrench that is good for 450 foot pounds and they ain't cheap, Don't use it that much but I do use it. Picked it up at a machinery auction and had it recalibrated.

Interestingly, I have a Snap-On 1/2" drive wrench as well (250 foot pounds) and if you put the Icon next to the Snap-On there is no difference except the lazer engraved name. of course the Snao-On cost 4 times the Icon. The Icon is a real bargain in accurate torque wrenches and one HF tool I strongly recommend.

 

[5030]

We have a Motion Industries branch store nearby and they check calibration and reset for free. I have all mine checked at least every 6 months.

 

[stumblinhorse]

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

And the drain plug gets all the oil out. The valves do not…

 

[Richard]

The threads on an oil drain plug are purposely made to strip long before you damage the oil pan.

Disclaimer: If my understanding is correct.....

Then you might have this backward. My understanding is it's the pan that's the softer material, therefore, more prone to stripping.....should something in fact strip, not the plug. If the plug stripped first then I'd just buy a new plug with each new filter (which automatically comes with a new crush washer).

 

[ericm979]

It's common for motorcycles with aluminium engine crankcases to get stripped drain plug threads. Guys don't use a torque wrench and just crank 'er down. The aluminum case theads strip before the steel plug. Mag cases are about as soft as aluminium. Maybe even a little softer. Using a torque wrench should prevent stripping the threads due to over tightening.

My VW came with a slick drain plug. It's a half turn sort of like a dzus fastener. As you tighten it there is a notable detent and then a hard stop. The seal is by o ring. It's really foolproof. But it's attached to a plastic oil pan which is easily damaged by rocks, especially since this model is lowered from the factory. I hit a rock and holed the pan, shut down immediately and saved the motor. I got a steel pan to replace it.

 

[MTGreen]

A cheap Chicom (e.g. HF) tool might be +/-15% inaccurate on the outside.
In reality +/-15% of spec in a drain plug is irrelevant as the spec is just to crush the washer adequately to prevent leaks and retain the plug.
This spec is going to be much less than the material strength of both the bolt and the drain pan.
If you're worried about it for a low spec application like this, get the HF one.
Alternatively, you can Helicoil the drain pan threads for longevity.
Just don't go expecting an HF type one to be accurate for critical applications like rod bolts or flywheel bolts.

You can also get a digital one for use with any ratchet or breaker bar for $50-100 if you want to go that route. I have a digital 3/4 one that I like because I have bolts on my tractor with a 500ft-lb spec which is well beyond my 3/4 torque wrench rating that I can get with my 3/4 breaker bar & digital attachment.

 

[mcfarmall]

Cheap wrench and inaccurate as well...

It would have to be waaaay off to strip out the plug if the dude follows the torque spec in the manual. After all, he's not building a space telescope or a jet engine.

 

[aczlan]

On accuracy,

A cheap Chicom (e.g. HF) tool might be +/-15% inaccurate on the outside.
In reality +/-15% of spec in a drain plug is irrelevant as the spec is just to crush the washer adequately to prevent leaks and retain the plug.
This spec is going to be much less than the material strength of both the bolt and the drain pan.
If you're worried about it for a low spec application like this, get the HF one.
Alternatively, you can Helicoil the drain pan threads for longevity.
Just don't go expecting an HF type one to be accurate for critical applications like rod bolts or flywheel bolts.

You can also get a digital one for use with any ratchet or breaker bar for $50-100 if you want to go that route. I have a digital 3/4 one that I like because I have bolts on my tractor with a 500ft-lb spec which is well beyond my 3/4 torque wrench rating that I can get with my 3/4 breaker bar & digital attachment.

IIRC they say the cheap harbor freight torque wrenches are good within 4%.
As long as you are using a basic 3/8" ratchet and arent reefing on it you should be fine without a torque wrench, the spec is 30 ft pounds from what I can find, that's snug but not reefing on it.

Aaron Z

 

[crazyal]

An ex GF had a 2003 (IIRC) Trailblazer. It not only had an aluminum oil pan the oil pan was also the front differential. There's a driveshaft from the transfer case going back into the oil pan. There's a reason why they sell so many different oil drain plug repair kits. I would hate to have to replace the pan on that Chevy.

 

[Jerry/MT]

And the drain plug gets all the oil out. The valves do not…

And why is that?

 

[stumblinhorse]

And why is that?

The design of the valve. Either the valve is outside/below the drain hole, which would make them highly susceptible to getting broken off or damaged. So none of them are built that way. They put the valve mostly inside the pan, meaning above the drain hole. This make it so all the oil doesn’t or isn’t able to drain out the hole.

 

[2manyrocks]

If I were giving any specific advice, I'd say that you need to give yourself adequate space to remove and replace the drain plug under the vehicle. Trying to do it from an awkward angle just means you're more likely to mis thread the plug. The car being low to the ground is one difficulty. Another is having to get the air shield out of the way to access the plug.

 

[KennyG]

The design of the valve. Either the valve is outside/below the drain hole, which would make them highly susceptible to getting broken off or damaged. So none of them are built that way. They put the valve mostly inside the pan, meaning above the drain hole. This make it so all the oil doesn’t or isn’t able to drain out the hole.

I can't see this as a big deal. Even if you drain the oil hot, there is going to be a thin film of used oil over the entire engine interior, as well as a few pockets that never drain. I can't get too excited about only getting 98% of the oil out instead of 99%.

 

[stumblinhorse]

I can't see this as a big deal. Even if you drain the oil hot, there is going to be a thin film of used oil over the entire engine interior, as well as a few pockets that never drain. I can't get too excited about only getting 98% of the oil out instead of 99%.

I would rather get almost all of the oil out by letting it drip while I take care of the filters etc, than make sure the drain plug was tightened to 33ft/lbs instead of 36 ft/lbs.

 

[oldballs]

I believe in proper torque. But have never thought it necessary for my 60 years of draining oil on my own cars, tractors or trucks.
Seem like one just has to have a feel for these things. Same goes for many other applications...except for rebuilding and engine maybe.
As I have gotten older now, those big ft lbs torques are hard for me to get a "click" on my torrque wrench.

Cheers,
Mike

 

[therrien]

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?

I have turned wrenches in one form or another for over 40 years. I have 3 click type torque wrenches from Snap On that have served me well. I do not drink the snap on cool aid but my 1/4" dr in/lb wrench and my 1/2" dr ft/lb have stayed accurate and in spec for 40 years. The problem was that the 1/4" was had no parts available so Snap on would NOT even check it. I had to have that tested at another place that was fantastic. My3/8" drive wrench has also stayed in spec but I have only had that for 20 years or so. The most critical thing is to back off the adjustment when finished but not to a hard stop. It is also important to check torque steady and gently. I have seen so many as**es jerk the torque wrench like a breaker bar. The torque wrench is only accurate when you hold the center of the handle also. I believe Snap on torque wrenches are made by CDI but I cannot be sure.

I like some things from Harbor Freight but I would not trust a measuring instrument like this.

Just my 2 cents

 

[John_Mc]

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'm guessing you meant set it back to the lowest setting on the tool after use. Most torque wrenches don't go to zero.

 

[John_Mc]

I own a cheap Harbor Freight "Pittsburg" torque wrench in a 1/4" drive and a 3/8" drive. I used them extensively when I was working for a solar PV installer. They were accurate well within their stated spec of 4%. (I want to say they were within 1 or 2%, but I may be remembering incorrectly.) They held their accuracy fairly well over a year+ of very regular use. We did not have them officially calibrated very often, but we did check them against a digital torque wrench (which was calibration checked However, they sure felt like cheap junk, and in fact the 1/4" drive unit had the screws back out and the guts fell out. HF replaced them with no hassle at all, but it was an annoyance.

When I bought a 1/2" drive torque wrench, I went for the Icon brand. It's a much more solodly built tool. I'm not really doing precision work with it, so haven't had occasion to have the calibration officially checked, but I have checked it against my digital adapter and with a known weight at a known distance out the handle and it seems to be holding the same settings it had when new. When the 1/4" and 3/8" torque wrenches crap out, I'll replace them with Icon wrenches.

 

[herm0016]

I would get a beam type from tekton if I was replacing. I have a full set of click type protos that are calibrated.
3/8, 1/2 Inch Drive 72-Tooth Split Beam Torque Wrench Set (2-Piece) | TRQ99902 | TEKTON pretty sure they are sourced from CDI just like snap on and other top brands.

https://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tnpla/12195269?cid=ppc-google-Smart+Shopping+-+POP++Hand+Tools/Power+Tools+NCA&mkwid=%7cdc&pcrid=592529377192&rd=k&product_id=12195269&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_bieBhDSARIsADU4zLdgx8rESO0Hq1TVDH0Zn4qmqa-ZRxQ9nNCeG9EvPUzxgF237vgZSkAaAmLjEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Tekton makes great stuff and its a US based company that sources from US, Canada and Taiwan.

Tekton makes great tools at a reasonable price. I have full sets of sockets, their screw drivers are made in US and fantastic. I have one of their large rolling boxes sourced from canada made by Rousou, and they blow any tool truck brand away. built just like a vidmar.