I'm wondering if anybody here has used the Harbor Freight inch lb. torque wrench for $19.99 and how accurate they actualy are. I want to adjust the bands on my trans. to 120 in. lbs. and want to make sure these are accurate enough for that. I sure don't want to break one of those bands.

 

Id say you'll be fine. My smaller torque wrenches are some chinese knock off brand but they have worked fine for years. Its a truck, not a nuclear reactor. The fact that your going to use ANY torque wrench puts you miles ahead of alot of mechanics.

 

I have a Harbor Freight click type torque wrench that goes to around 120 ft-lbs. I don't know how accurate it was when new but after a few years, I compared it to calibrated torque wrenches I have where I work and it is not even close to accurate.

 

Would you say it's within 10% one way or the other or worse than that.

 

I just did a quick check and when set at 70 ft-lbs, it clicked at 64 ft-lbs on the calibrated dial torque wrench. That is within 10% under. I would say a new one would have better accuracy but that is just a guess.
Another thing I found with the Harbor Freight torque wrench is it is not consistent but I have a feeling the click type torque wrenches have more scatter than a dial torque wrench.

 

Thanks for actualy checking, you didn't have to go to that trouble but I appreciate it and that's close enough for me. I just bought one an hour ago.

 

I use the Craftsman Click Torque Wrenches, Pound feet and inches, and they are probably just the same wrenches in a different wrapper. I have built motors with them, never an auto trans.

My only problem is, it is inside of the trans, too loose and there is slippage, too tight and, and, well I am not even sure what will happen.

Is there any way to borrow a decent Torque Wrench from a mechanic friend, or rent a decent wrench... hard to say, it is what you are comfortable with.

 

You can test any torque wrench at your house if you have a vise

Just put the square socket part in the vise with wrench sticking out to the side, 90deg

ft/lb is 1 pound at 1 foot of torque(weight against handle at 1ft)
If you have a home weight set, thats never been used since you bought it, lol, they can be used.....finally

set wrench for 30 ft/lb if click style then measure out 12 inch/1ft on the handle and put a rope, string, hook at that spot
Hang 30lbs there and wrench should click, if it doesn't click then press down slightly on handle to guessimate how much it is off.
If it does click then remove the weight and set it for 25ft/lb, then retest to see if it clicks again, it shouldn't

in/lb is just multiply or divide by 12, 12 inches in 1 foot

so 12 in/lb = 1 ft/lb, 24 in/lb = 2 ft/lb, 36 in/lb = 3 ft/lb, ect..............
so 10lb hanging at 12 inches on in/lb wrench should show 120 in/lb, most go up to 200 in/lb
5lbs at 12 inch would be 60 in/lb

The reason to used in/lb is because ft/lb torque wrenches will not be very accurate under 20 ft/lb


If you don't have a weight set then WATER works just fine, "a pint is a pound the world around", remember that from school, lol.
A gallon has 8 pints, so a gallon of water will weight 8 pounds, a full 5 gallon bucket will weigh 40 pounds

 

That's really a great idea. Pounds is Pounds, no matter where they come from!

 

I torqued the bands today after changing the fluid the other day. Absolutely no difference but at least I know I have new fluid and the bands are adjusted right, I just wanted to makes sure things were right for upcoming commutes. It runs and shifts fine. 2 months ago I was ready to give it away.