Torque and Chrome

How do you calibrate an old used snap-on torque wrench? I purchased it over the weekend for $40 from a local swap meet. I am not sure how old it is but maybe it's about 10 years old. Not sure if it works correct either. Would I be able to calibrate it to correct setting myself? How do I do it? Torque wrenches are not covered from their life time warranty, do they?

what is good and better 1/2 torque wrench snap-on or matco? I'm just wandering about their torque wrenches, I'm a college student and have a student discount(half price) and i wanna know about your thoughts on those tool brands.. help me out guys so i can choose the very good one PS. they said "They are both excellent torque wrenches, it really comes down to which brand you personally prefer" but i want to know the more SPECIFIC reason..!!:) thanks..

How can I find out if this torque wrench has correct or somewhat correct calibration? it's a used snap-on torque wrench Do snap-on's life time warranty cover 10 year old torque wrenches too?

Where is a good place to have my torque wrench calibrated in Chicago? I have two torque wrenches both snap on one is a really old torqometer and a newer Brutus but i want both of them calibrated where can i have this done in Chicago and how much? or whats a good place to mail them to, to have it done?

What stores sell Snap-On tools? I see the website but I cant wait for shipping i need it today. I am looking for a snap on torque wrench. Do autozone, pepboys, etc. etc. sell them or maybee sears?

Question about Snap-on tool warranty? I heard that ALL snap-on tools have life time warranty. I also heard that SOME tools such as torque wrench is not covered under warranty. Who is correct? What's covered? And how long? I don't know anything about snap-on warranty. Need some info. I went to swapmeet today & someone was selling a used snap-on torque wrench for $40 but didn't buy it cause didn't know if it worked & didn't know if it's covered under warranty.

does a digital torque wrench have a spring? I am dealing with digital torque wrenches vs mechanical. I know the mechanical wrenches have a spring and a mechanism such as a ball detent, but do electronic torque wrenches measure run up torque? It doesn't seem as though the snap on 24-240 in/lb breaks away. It seem like it measures run up torque then beeps when you get to the appropriate spot. What does the inside of an electronic torque wrench look like and how does it work? Thank you

What would you need a 1000 ft-lb torque wrench for? I was just browsing the Snap-on catalog and was wondering what you would ever need a 1000 ft-lb wrench for? It's six feet long! Tightening the head bolts on a 25 cubic meter diesel engine?! Oh, and in case you were wondering the wrench only costs $2 per ft-lb... Here's the kicker: "Warning--Do not exceed rated torque." Or what? You get a hernia?

What exactly would I be paying for in a $200 dollar torque wrench? I've always tightened my drain bolt by feel, but have now decided to invest in a torque wrench. I would never spend 200 dollars on something like this but is there any reason I should spend more than $30? As I've seen wrenches that appear similar to each other ranging that price gap. I understand some higher end models are digital, but many 200 dollar wrenches seem to be exaclty like the 30 dollar ones except for the "Snap-On" label.

How much does a good torque wrench cost? At snap-on.com they all cost like $300, is that a lot? Also what other tools would you recommend for a new mechanic? I'll be graduating in a year, and would like to get a head start. I'm thinking of getting a vacuum gauge, cylinder leakdown tester, stethoscope, but what else should I consider? Thanks in advance. Best answer will be chosen asap.

Which is the better 3/8” torque wrench for me... range of 10-80Nm, or one with range of 27-108Nm? I want a 3/8” torque wrench for doing stuff on my car.... Which do you think would be most versatile for most of my auto needs? (I know little about auto mechanics but have been doing some of the easier jobs so far.... and maybe more in the future, excluding timing belt - so am looking for which torque wrench range might offer the best option for most of the easier jobs I might encounter) The one with range of 10-80Nm: http://www.toolsnstuff.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=38%22-SQUARE-DRIVE-10-80-NM-OR-885-708-IN-LB-RATCHET-TORQUE-WRENCH&products_id=8102&osCsid=f518ef2049aa6cadaa616f100bcbb98b Or the one with range of 27-108Nm? http://www.toolsnstuff.co.uk/product_info.php?pName=Torque-Wrench-38%94Sq-Drive&products_id=16454&osCsid=f518ef2049aa6cadaa616f100bcbb98b I realize that neither is an uber precision style Teng, Snap-On ect... cause I just can't afford it tbh. Thanks

Walmart torque wrench any good? I saw a torque wrench at Walmart the other day for $25 dollars. Question is are these wrenches close to accurate at all? I wouldn't mind if it's off by a little bit. I mainly want to use it to torque down my head bolts and occasionally to toque down the lug nuts on my wheels. May be some other things that I know the stock torque specifications of. Does anyone have any first hand experience with these "cheap" Walmart torque wrenches? And don't even say "oh you should get a Snap-On there better" because I'm not going to spend $300 bucks on something I'm probably not going to use much.

I have some tools never been used still in the origional box. How much are they worth.? Snap On 1/2 drive torque wrench 50 to 250ft pounds, a Snap On Blue Point air wrench 3/8 drive 5-50ft pounds. I dont wanna be a machanic any more and i am considering selling or pawning them depending on how mush i can get. But I dont wanna sell a $300 tool for 50 bucks. any ideas how mush i should get for these or how much do they cost new from snap on.

future technician - snap-on tools... opinions? I'm going to become a future technician. I was thinking about getting all Snap-on tools, but after seeing it it's too expensive it decide to go for Craftsman... Do you think Craftsman tools are just as top quality as Snap-on? Should I just buy tools Snap-on are famous for (scanner, torque wrench...) and Craftsman for the basic tools (sockets, wrenches, etc...)? How hard is it to reach a representative if a snap-on tool needs a replacement? and FINALLY what do you think I should do to build up my tool set, or how did you do it?

Who makes the best torque wrenches for automotive use? Snap-On is very expensive. Who makes the best torque wrench that has the best value. Also which size is good for all-around use. Can you just buy a 1/2" and use a 3/8" adapter. Or can I just buy a 3/8" size. I don't think I can afford to buy more than one right now so it's either a 1/2" or 3/8" but I don't know which one to buy. Any advice?

How do I change my sparkplugs? I've had a new set of Iridium sparkplugs sitting in my glove box for 5 months now because I'm really nervous about installing them. I don't have a torque wrench, and I don't have the slightest idea how much to tighten them. Do I have to change my wire and distributor too? I've got about 60,000km on these plugs, and I know they need to be changed, but I'm terrified I'm going to snap one off.

Makita BTW253 Vs Snap-on CT4410? I was wondering if any one has use both of this torque wrench. Cause I'm looking to buy a 3/8 torque wrench when I need to go to my brothers place to help him with his car (Lives in apartment) or in case of a emergency with my car. ???

Cordless Impact Wrench? My father was putting together my weight bench using what i assume to be regular torque wrenches, and i heard him say this would be easier if he had an automated one..like a drill. I don't really know much about this stuff but i wanted to get him one for X-Mas. I didn't know what to get, are these things called Impact Wrenches? If so what is the difference between 3/8" and a 1/2 "? Does it matter? i was looking at the CT4410 by Snap On. Is that what i am looking for? just a pointer in the right direction would really be appreciated. Thanks.

Tools needed for Brake/suspension Tech? Im currently in school for auto tech and will be getting my brake & suspension ase at the end. What are the tools needed for this? I have craftsman wrenches/sockets/ratchets and was thinking of getting a torque wrench/impact wrench/impact sockets from snap on or matco. What else would I need?? Also thinking of an Ingersol Rand Impact wrench. Let me know good brands as well as the tools themselves please!!

How do I keep breaking bolts? I'm trying to put the throttle body back on my '88 Firebird. I already broke one of the original bolts when I tried to torque them down to 90 ft/lbs, like it says in the shop manual. Today I bought new bolts and tried to torque them to 45 ft/lbs when one of them snapped. How is this possible? I just torqued the valve cover bolts (which are smaller) to 75, no problems there. Will tightening the bolts w/o a torque wrench be good enough for the throttle body?

Lawnmower won't start? I just took the blade off and sharpened it and then I put the blade back on and tightened it real good and the mower won't start. It work very fine before this. The manual says to tighten to 60 with a torque wrench, I don't have one. I can't tighten it much more and any looser seems to not work either. The cord snaps back half way once in a while I am not sure what to do. Thank you

Briggs and Stratton 13.5 I/C head tension and valve clearances? Iv got a 13.5 hp B/S in the ride on mower and just replaced the head gasket, according to the mower shop the head bolts should be tighten to 220 lbs ! my torque wrench only goes to 120lbs ! I have checked on the net and it is also listed at 220lbs but this simply can not be right, I have tried twice to torque it down but as soon as I hit 30lbs the bolts snap ! even the head bolts on a V8 are not 220lbs ! Does anyone have the correct pressure for the head bolts? (I'm guessing around 22lbs it closer to the truth) and the valve clearances as well. Thanks all in advance for any useful help.

Did I break something when I torqued down my Chevy 350's cylinder head? I replaced the head gaskets on one of my Chevy 350s today. Cylinder 3 had blown out into cylinders 1 and 5. I always torque the head bolt down in three stages. 25 Ft-Lbs, 50 Ft-Lbs, then 65-70 Ft-Lbs. Everything seemed to be going just fine until I got to the last stage. My 1/2 inch to 3/8 inch reducer broke while torquing down the bolt between cylinder 1 and 3. I was around 60 ft-lbs at the time and thought the bolt had stripped at first. I got another reducer and continued to tighten down that bolt, but it almost seemed reluctant to torque. It took longer than the other bolts to get to 65 Ft-Lbs, and when I held the torque wrench at 65 Ft-Lbs it slipped down to 60 Ft-Lbs. I kept trying to tighten the bolt and it kept wanting to stay at 60 Ft-Lbs. It almost seems like it has a slipping helicoil. I went ahead and left that bolt at 60 Ft-Lbs and continued assembling the rest of the engine. I was afraid to break something that seemed to be within specs. Could the breaking of the reducer have caused an over torque to that bolt? Could the bolt be stretching and getting ready to snap? I am tempted to remove that one bolt, but I don't want to break the bolt if it's going to be OK as it is now. I posted another question about replacing one bolt at a time. Can this be done?

How long do lug nuts last? I brought my 05 Mustang in for regular service, and while I was there I asked them if instead of rotating my tires, if they can swap them and put my winter tires on. They said it wouldn't be a problem. Later I received a call saying that my car wouldn't be ready for a couple days as the lug nut "broke", which it did as I went down to check it out, and that I wouldn't be able to drive until its fixed. So some how while they were trying to swap my wheels, the lug nut "snapped" from natural causes, which is what I was told. I've never had a lug nut snap on me, and I know for a fact that torque wrenches are made to avoid this problem. Now I'm stuck with a rental car until they can figure out what to do without scratching my rims... which might I add, they already damaged while trying to take the wheel off. So is it their fault or what?! Until they figure how to get my wheel off, I'm driving a rental focus, I better not be charged! When I say the lug nut actually snapped, I really mean it! Ford even told me its the locking nut to prevent my rims from being stolen, its the nut thats shaped differently than all the other ones. It snapped so far down that they were unable to remove it. So they are bringing in specialists in to figure out how to get it off, they said they have never experienced something like this before... guess there is a first to everything. And as for the torque wrench, I meant to say it helps speed up time on rim changes, but I have been told by my nephew which is an engineer that they prevent stupid things like this happening! Guess I'll just have to wait till they fix it or give me a new ride haha

Cordless impact wrenches? Im looking for a cordless impact wrench, but what is the difference between torque and Max torque? I see Dewalt has 300 ft lbs, and snap on was around the same but had 550 Max torque too.

replacing seat post clamp? Just bought a new road bike, and after putting the seat in place and tightening the clamp and sitting on the bike, the clamp snapped right in two. I didn't even tighten it that much, but I don't have a torque wrench so I probably did tighten it too much and that's why. I am going to go to my LBS today to pick up a new clamp, but am wondering what size I need. The seat post is 27.2mm, but the clamp size depends on the seat tube size correct? How do I measure this to tell the bike shop what size my seat tube is, or what information would I need to bring them to figure out what size seat clamp I need? I have the broken clamp, if I bring it in along with knowing my seat post size will that be enough for the shop to tell me what I need? I am trying to avoid bringing the whole bike into the shop just to figure out what clamp size I need.

If you overtorque an engine bolt, what will happen if? Just as an example, say the manual says to torque a bolt going into the head at 30lb, but you mistakenly over-torque it to 45lb(assume that the bolt doesnt snap and no parts warp). If you go an loosen the overtorqued bolt completely, then torque it down to spec (30lb), is there a chance that the bolt will no longer hold at the specified setting because it has been "stretched" or "overtorqued"? Or, if it is overtorqued, is there a way that you can get a false read? For example, say when u went to retorque the overtorqued bolt, the torque wrench showed the correct 30lb, but due to it being "stretched, its only holding at 25lb or 30lb?