Small Engine Torque Wrench?

I've always used a 3/8" drive, 'el-cheapo' from tiawan, it must be set-up as inch-pounds, for small engine repair, a foot-pound wrench will not help you. I never had any problem torquing rod bolts on small engines with it, if you go for a 1/4" drive type wrench, that would be good too, but make sure the range will go to 200 inch-pounds, and I think mine goes to around 400 inch-pounds, but I rarely ever use beyond 200 inch-pounds.

Some good deals on quality brand tools can be found on the internet (lots of old guys wanting to sell their old tools).

Heck I'll sell you my old inch-pound torque wrench, thru E-bay...if ya want it, price would be around $20 + economy shipping...send me a PM if ya need such a thing listed thru E-bay. I found this one on E-bay just now, if I was going to buy a new one, I would probably go for something like this: inch pound torque wrench in Tools | eBay

wwxx

harbor freight has decent cheap tools
3/8" Drive Click Type Torque Wrench

make sure you google for a 20% off coupon
and get a coupon for a free set of screwdrivers while your at it

You might try using a regular socket with a 3" extension, and twist the crank till the piston is near TDC, (you may have to have the wrench/socket and-or extension 'already in there--between the crank-throws' while you twist the crank to a convenient location, to torque the bolts) I usually tighten the caps when the piston is high in the cylinder...sometimes using a deep well socket 'to reach in', and generally before installing the cam or tappets. It is a small 'window of opportunity' to get your tool in there, and have room to pull the torque wrench also. Your rod probably uses 'locking tabs' be sure to hammer/fold those ears over after you have the bolts torqued.

On the vertical crankshaft twins, there is a side plate (4) bolts that might allow easier access.

wwxx

oh i am sorry i had been going back and forth between wrenches

this 1/4 inch drive is inch pounds

1/4" Torque Wrench - 20-200 in. lbs.


here is a coupon for free screwdrivers



and one for 20% off the wrench

I use a Harbor Freight 1/4 inch drive torque wrench and it is as accurate as my buddy's $250 Snap on wrench. I also use the 3/8 and 1/2 inch ones with good results. I can't be as positive about their mower jack. I had to replace all the nuts and bolts and clips, etc... with real stuff as it was unsafe. It's hit or miss there. Some good, some bad.

As said, ft.lb torque wrenches are not good for small engine work. Not a matter of converting, it is a matter of accuracy at that low setting plus physical size.

The opposed twin OP is working on does require repositioning the rod, turning the flywheel, going from one bolt to the other.

Walt Conner

As Walt already mentioned, torque wrenches are generally only accurate after the first 20% of the scale, so you'll need to factor that into your selection.

The HF torque wrenches are generally very good for the money and are a lot better than no wrench at all. I've seen very similar Taiwan wrenches sold at most parts stores for a little more money, the Power Torque wrench from Oreilly's is an example of this.

MrGiggles said:

As Walt already mentioned, torque wrenches are generally only accurate after the first 20% of the scale, so you'll need to factor that into your selection.

The HF torque wrenches are generally very good for the money and are a lot better than no wrench at all. I've seen very similar Taiwan wrenches sold at most parts stores for a little more money, the Power Torque wrench from Oreilly's is an example of this.

Click to expand...

A word of advice to all torque wrench users- ALWAYS reset the wrench setting to ZERO after using it and while storing it. Though this is not true for every type of torque wrench many of them have a spring that will distort and thus give false readings after a while. (the spring will weaken or distort which negates the desired measurement)..

Just a word of advice for y'all on a Turkey day @ work..

HOGCAT said:

I have that same torque wrench from Harbor freight. It is in Foot pounds. Easy to change inch pounds to foot pounds If a bolt says tighten to 220 inch pounds, just divide by 12 and tighten it to a bit over 18 foot pounds.

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no fast there. Your "a little" over 18 foot pounds may be different from someone else's "little over"

also it depends on how low the low end of the torque wrench's scale goes, some don't even register that low.
A torque wrench is much less accurate at the lowest 20% end of its scale. Which isn't necessarily "0". I have several here from 3/8 drive dial, to 3/8 drive electronic that I can change units on, to 1/2" drive clickers and a 3/4" (yes 3/4") drive dial one that goes to 600 foot lbs.

As an example one of my 1/2" clickers' range is 40 to 200 foot pounds.
It wont even read, "a little over 18 foot pounds". Besides that, the range is 160 ft lbs from low to high ends of the range. So, take 20% of 160, or 32 lbs. Add that to the 40 ft/lb "low" end of the scale and this particular torque wrench doesn't hit its accuracy range til 72 ft/lb. so if the spec is anywhere between 72 and 200, it would be fine. Not much in a small engine needs 72 ft/lbs. so this torque wrench would not be a good choice for this kind of work.
I use it on car and truck engines.
If you aren't using an accurate measuring device, it makes no sense to measure, right?

The bottom line is that you really should have more than one torque wrench in your stash.

Oh; one more thing; if you truly want "accurate" you do not want anything from HF!

On Harbor Freight, they used to sell a real nice digital torque cell that is extremely accurate. I learned that at a calibrators convention at National Harbor in MD, near DC. Morehouse was showcasing their ultra accurate torque calibrator and had picked one up to show how bad cheap stuff is. Wrong answer, it was a whole lot better than a lot of very expensive torque wrenches.

As to torquing the rods on my B&S 16 HP opposed twin, I have a 1/4" drive torque wrench I bought to use on transmission valve bodies, it fit inside the block perfectly through the rear cover opening (sump on a vertical shaft model).

Walt 2002 said:

I have used 3/8" torque wrench on dozens of B&S opposed twins, both vertical & horizontal.

Walt Conner

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You just have to turn the crankshaft and change sockets as needed to obtain the proper clearance for the 3/8" torque wrench.. @ my old job we had a calibrator and my cheapie was spot on whenever I tested it. :fing32: