The Thread Spread

-Tools Rules-

Keep The Clicker From Getting Sicker
Someone reminded me of a good way to keep your torque wrench in calibration for a long time. I'm sure we all use the clicker style torque wrenches these days - though I do have a beam type wrench kicking around somewhere. The trick to keeping a clicker wrench calibrated is to always reset it to "0" after every time you use it.
 
To torque a bolt to 30 lb-ft, I'd set it to 15, click it, then set it to 30, click it, click it 3 more times - then set the wrench back to "0". Always put it away in a case set to zero. The idea is to keep the internal spring from being loaded more than it has to be. If it stretches, there goes the calibration.
 
Never use it to remove a bolt if possible. If you have to use it for that, increase the value by several points; if the bolt is torqued to 30 lb-ft, set the wrench to 40 lb-ft (or more) and remove it, then set the wrench back to zero.
 
A torque wrench is a valuable tool and only as good as the guy using it and the way in which it's used. Someone once said, if you have a $10 head buy a $10 helmet. I'd say if you have a $10 motor buy a $10 torque wrench.
 
Rick

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Date Last Modified: 4/21/99
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