habor freight tools

[tomcos67]

This year I made the mistake of striping oil pan and final drive by overtightening!!!!The torque wrench at harbor 20 ft. lbs. to 100 ft. lbs.. Is this the tool that I need or r values to high for oil plug and final drive. Thanks..Or is this junk? What to buy....

[jetmechmarty]

With a cheap torque wrench, you want to use the middle of the scale. If you want to torque a bolt to 30 ft/lbs, get a 0 to 60 ft/lb wrench.

[Bonz]

I can't recall (because the answer is "never") the last time I torque wrenched an oil drain plug or an FD drain/fill plug when tightening. For me it's a proper snugness that is familiar after 35 years of oil drain plugs, differential and transfer case drain plugs and motorcycle oil pan/FD plugs of all kinds. I guess if a torque wrench was not working right, you could have this exact problem, but I would sense things were getting too tight long before the torque was over done and stripped.

What jetmechmarty said is probably good advice, but pay attention with the 'ol "seat of the pants" feeling regardless.

Good luck with getting the threads fixed.

[MaximPhil]

Hi Ton & Bonz,
Let me start with the stripped plug. The plugs for both my engine oil and rear dif have become stripped. I have some experience with tightening bolts and am no gorilla. Steel plugs into aluminum are. in my view. a high risk application. Who knows what abuse mine had had before I started to baby them and yet they have stripped. I bought a cheap inch/pound torque wrench from Princess Auto , the Canadian equivalent of Harbor Freight.
I was amazed to discover in the nice plastic case it comes in was the TEST REPORT from the factory showing the variance across the range.
Adverised as 3% mine was less than 1% ( according to the hand filled in) report accros the whole range.
Marty is correct in that most instruments are most accurate at the centre of the scale.
Mine is a 1/4" drive so i bought the 1/4 step up to 3/8 so I can carry just 3/8 drive sockets on the bike.
The PO stripped one of the spark plug holes on mine. so another area to be very careful
Phil

[tomcos67]

Thanks .I've been wrenching for many years never stripted anything. But as stated steel on aluminum not good bedfellows.
When bringing rachet wrench up to drain plug it was in tight mode,I thought it was set to loosen .Bam one quarter turn and stripted. I thought since I was that dumb,at least a torque wrench would release.Can't believe I don't own one.Well lesson learned..Good Day.!!!

[Bonz]

That sucks. Set to tighten mode and you turned it the wrong way... We've all done something like that at one point or another in our wrenching career.

IMO, given sealing washers (maybe a nylon washer vs a crush washer) and steel plugs into aluminum, it doesn't take much force to make a good seal and in the counter-intuitive sense, could be a good reason to not try for factory specs on torque. It's all hind sight at this point, but maybe something for all of us to consider next time we do those drain plugs. I know I will keep a good eye out on that for sure!

[motoman]

That sucks. Set to tighten mode and you turned it the wrong way... We've all done something like that at one point or another in our wrenching career.

IMO, given sealing washers (maybe a nylon washer vs a crush washer) and steel plugs into aluminum, it doesn't take much force to make a good seal and in the counter-intuitive sense, could be a good reason to not try for factory specs on torque. It's all hind sight at this point, but maybe something for all of us to consider next time we do those drain plugs. I know I will keep a good eye out on that for sure!

A tight fitting over threads copper washer has worked for me a few decades. No leaks,weeps, and fortunately no errors................. as of yet.

[Bonz]

FWIW, I simply flip the washer / at each oil change. That way I am recompressing it, sort of. It can be re-annealed very quickly as well.

[jetmechmarty]

A tight fitting over threads copper washer has worked for me a few decades. No leaks,weeps, and fortunately no errors................. as of yet.

That's what I use. I anneal them over and over. Fiber washers are a good option as well. It doesn't take much torque to seal them.

[kboehringer]

Pittsburgh #807

SNIP..Or is this junk? What to buy....

Tom,
I am the very FIRST person that will "RAG" on Harbor Freight tools (and misc. supplies) as garbage. Having spent nearly a year rebuilding my best friend's '77 Vette where the ONLY tools he had in his shop were from Harbor Freight. Those HF tools, frequently broke, always at the most inconvenient time(s), smashing knuckles, and/or causing some other damage.

HOWEVER, I own several torque wrenches including a "Pittsburgh #807" from Harbor Freight. This #807 is one of only a couple of items I WOULD recommend. It is a well made tool that is very accurate compared to my Snap-On and my Westward torque wrenches. I don't think this wrench cost more than $20? (if that?) and is a great value.

NOTE: When not in use, calibrated spring style torque wrenches should be stored in the fully loosened position.

Sincerely,
KURT

[tomcos67]

Tom,
I am the very FIRST person that will "RAG" on Harbor Freight tools (and misc. supplies) as garbage. Having spent nearly a year rebuilding my best friend's '77 Vette where the ONLY tools he had in his shop were from Harbor Freight. Those HF tools, frequently broke, always at the most inconvenient time(s), smashing knuckles, and/or causing some other damage.

HOWEVER, I own several torque wrenches including a "Pittsburgh #807" from Harbor Freight. This #807 is one of only a couple of items I WOULD recommend. It is a well made tool that is very accurate compared to my Snap-On and my Westward torque wrenches. I don't think this wrench cost more than $20? (if that?) and is a great value.

NOTE: When not in use, calibrated spring style torque wrenches should be stored in the fully loosened position.

Sincerely,
KURT

Thanks Kurt,,

[motoman]

This year I made the mistake of striping oil pan and final drive by overtightening!!!!The torque wrench at harbor 20 ft. lbs. to 100 ft. lbs.. Is this the tool that I need or r values to high for oil plug and final drive. Thanks..Or is this junk? What to buy....

Thatt'll work even tho I'm not very fond of HF products...........but hey, they do carry in a packaging some really good quality, heavy duty shrink tubing. Takes a propane torch used careful heating for a primo job.

[timktm]

I have used some hf tools myself. Especially ones that may only get used once in a while. I just purchased the inspection camera for looking at the cylinders of my 1100. But I hate the smell of Chinese rubber that hits you as soon as you walk in. Actually makes me nauseas. And as far as torque wrenches, I only torque certain fasteners that require it.
Tim