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General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
Question for the Snap-On guys: a local is selling a few Snap On torque wrenches, her husband must've passed (? I didn't pry, she said they were his). I was a bit leery to buy as I don't know how they were stored and/or how they may have been used or abused.
Would you purchase a used Snap On torque wrench?
Edit to add- the price was pretty friendly, hence the question.
i wouldn't have a problem with a used snap on in decent shape.
I have used the lugnuts on my pickup set a different spec and compared readings with a known good wrench.
2 years ago I sent one of my snap ons in to be repaired and had it calibrated.
It took 2-3 weeks and the dealer I used charged me a 100 bucks. That was fine with me
When I was a certified master tech back in the 70's, I bought a SnapOn torque wrench. Used the hell out of it. The job I retired from was in manufacturing and I worked in purchasing handling alot of internal shop requirements. We were big on calibration of our mfg equipment. I had them check my torque wrench one time, and after 40 years it still fell within calibration specs. Working with tools and repairing cars, I always bought top of the line because I could not "afford" to be without a tool because broke. And I suspect back then too, we didn't have as many options for torque wrenches.
Now all this said, I would shop and buy what you are comfortable with. And if the top name wrenches look good, work, and you are happy with pricing, go for it!!
Hack way to check a wrench is I've done jam nuts in a vice, and gone back and forth between wrenches to see if they click at same time. They could all have the same issues, since all same brand, so doesn't really prove anything. But for most of us at home, I am not sure how we would get our wrench checked.
Hack way to check a wrench is I've done jam nuts in a vice, and gone back and forth between wrenches to see if they click at same time. They could all have the same issues, since all same brand, so doesn't really prove anything. But for most of us at home, I am not sure how we would get our wrench checked.
You can use one of these to check your torque wrenches, not calibration standards but close enough.
I use 'em when necessary/prompted/required, which is whenever the item to be torqued has a value in the manual. "They" say that since the factory actually builds these things, the factory ought to have a pretty good handle on just how tight/not too tight the thing should be.... JMHO, YMMV. I typically torque to the middle of the range given. RTFM, follow directions, yada yada,
I have used these.
The bottom two are relatively recent gets, and work as advertised. The only complaint I have about them is the scale engraved on the handle is BLOODY DIFFICULT to see with my aging eyes, even under careful illumination and my glasses on. The top two I have had for, um, decades, and always worked *for me*. I don't use them anymore. Wallhangers with legacy stories to tell.
Back when I'd read the beam benders were more accurate, but in so many places you can't see the scale head on, if at all. So I only use clickers. Close enough for home usage.
Back when I'd read the beam benders were more accurate, but in so many places you can't see the scale head on, if at all. So I only use clickers. Close enough for home usage.
LOL - SO true! I used to have to torque myself into positions unnatural to humans using the beams.... I made witness marks on the back of the scale for just such occasions. Good times!
The previous owner of my bike over-torqued the round lower oil reservoir cover and it's going to be a project to drill it out and make sure I don't leave any shavings in there. He may have used an impact wrench to tighten them because the Allen heads were misshapen and immediately stripped.
This was a mistake of thinking "tighter is always better" and extremely frustrating to do a full service. just do us a favor and if you're not a seasoned mechanic with a feel for this stuff, use a torque wrench.
learning the hard way is the best way to remember IMHO
...and now I read earlier in the chat and see were trying to choose a wrench not avoid them!,, thanks. I can delete this if distracting.
Yep. A seasoned mechanic with a good feel for torque has stripped out, broke, and had to extract a lot of bolts to get that feel.
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I made witness marks on the back of the scale for just such occasions. Good times! 
