Recommendations for a good torque wrench for spark plugs

[StangFever2846]

I bought a $30 3/8" drive Power Torque brand inch/lb torque wrench from O'Reilly Auto to use on a recent spark plug change and quickly found out that this thing is a major POS! I had to try and retry torquing the number 7 and 8 cylinders until I could get the **** thing to click without going passed the recommended torque spec. Anyway this POS is going back to Oreilly's and I'm looking to get a better one.

I bought this one since the Performance Tool brand 1/2" drive TW I bought from O'reilly's some 8 years ago has been great. I use it on the lugnuts on all my vehicles and it works flawlessly. Unfortunately, I have to special order the Performance Tool brand inch/lb torque wrench. That's why I'm looking to see what you guys use and how you like em.

Real Tool Reviews did a test on Husky vs Kobalt 1/2" drive torque wrenches and the Kobalt was very accurate, but unfortunately Lowe's doesn't sell an inch/lb torque wrench in the Kobalt brand.



Any recommendations? Also do you prefer 3/8" drive or 1/4" drive (with a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter)?

TIA

[01yellerCobra]

I use my 1/2" drive with a 3/8" adapter.

FWIW I've calibrated a couple of in-lb wrenches from Harbor Freight and they were dead on each time.

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[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by 01yellerCobra

I use my 1/2" drive with a 3/8" adapter.

FWIW I've calibrated a couple of in-lb wrenches from Harbor Freight and they were dead on each time.

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You're a braver man than I am. I don't think I could trust my 1/2" TW to use it on spark plugs.

From what I've been reading on the HF ones, they're either very accurate or really off. Their 1/2" TW is identical to my 8 year old 1/2"er from Oreilly's.
I guess it's just rebranded. I might have to take a look at them.

Anyone know if the Craftsman TW's are any good?

[01yellerCobra]

Originally Posted by StangFever2846

You're a braver man than I am. I don't think I could trust my 1/2" TW to use it on spark plugs.

From what I've been reading on the HF ones, they're either very accurate or really off. Their 1/2" TW is identical to my 8 year old 1/2"er from Oreilly's.
I guess it's just rebranded. I might have to take a look at them.

Anyone know if the Craftsman TW's are any good?

I have two Craftsman wrenches. The smaller one goes down to 10ft-lbs. That's the one I use on the plugs. It's at least 30 years old. But it's taken care of. My other one is 25-250. That one was dead on too.

I work in calibration. So it's easy for me to keep up on them.

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[DSG2003Mach1]

You can keep yours calibrated but for someone that can't using a torque wrench that goes down to 10ft lbs could be bad news, some of them have apretty significant margin of error at that point...then again 10% off would only be about 1 ft lb off

[ab_mach1]

I use the 3/8's drive ones from Harbor Freight. I can't remember the range, but both are ft/lbs. The longer one I think goes to 200 ft/lbs, if I remember right. I use it on my lugnuts.

TBH, I'd feel better if they were at least Craftsman, but I have a lot of friends that use the HF torque wrenches, so I caved to peer pressure and bought them lol.

[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by 01yellerCobra

I have two Craftsman wrenches. The smaller one goes down to 10ft-lbs. That's the one I use on the plugs. It's at least 30 years old. But it's taken care of. My other one is 25-250. That one was dead on too.

I work in calibration. So it's easy for me to keep up on them.

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I've been looking at some NOS Made in USA Craftsman TW's for sale on ebay so it's good to hear that they're accurate.

[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by DSG2003Mach1

You can keep yours calibrated but for someone that can't using a torque wrench that goes down to 10ft lbs could be bad news, some of them have apretty significant margin of error at that point...then again 10% off would only be about 1 ft lb off

This is why I didn't try to use my 1/2" drive TW. But after the headache the POS 3/8" one I bought gave me I probably would've been better off just using it instead. I had to keep stopping myself from overtightening the number 7 and 8 cuz it just wouldn't click in the position I was having to use it to clear the fire wall. I know I overtightened #7 once during the process. I immediately loosened it and kept trying to get it to click at what felt like the right torque. It took me like 6 tries until I finally got the **** thing to click cleanly and where I felt like it was not overtightened.

I almost threw the **** thing out of the garage in anger. Going back to Oreilly's and getting my money back was the only thing that stopped me from doing it.

[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by eruza

I use the 3/8's drive ones from Harbor Freight. I can't remember the range, but both are ft/lbs. The longer one I think goes to 200 ft/lbs, if I remember right. I use it on my lugnuts.

TBH, I'd feel better if they were at least Craftsman, but I have a lot of friends that use the HF torque wrenches, so I caved to peer pressure and bought them lol.

As much as I love my 8 year old cheapy Taiwan made TW from Oreilly's, I'm starting to lean towards getting a NOS Craftsman USA one instead of rolling the dice on another cheap one.

I just tried the POS TW on a lug nut with 9 inches of extensions. I set it to 180 in-lbs and it broke cleanly except when at the 5 o'clock position. It seems like the combination of downward and side pressure on the handle binds the riveted area (part that clicks) in such a way that it doesn't click. I tried it maxed out at 960 in-lbs and it clicked loudly and cleanly except in the 5 o'clock position again. I also probably need to get a TW that has a lower range, so I'm not using the bottom of the range when doing my spark plugs like I am with this one.

[sutyak]

I've never used a torque wrench for spark plugs. Head bolts, flywheel bolts, etc, absolutely.

[DSG2003Mach1]

Originally Posted by sutyak

I've never used a torque wrench for spark plugs. Head bolts, flywheel bolts, etc, absolutely.

me either, hand tight + about a 1/4 turn

[01yellerCobra]

There should be calibration labs around you guys that you can take your torque wrench to. We charge $40 to calibrate them. I don't have mine on a set schedule. I usually check them before doing major things like engine work.

FWIW, in the time I've had my old Craftsman, roughly 13 years, I've only had to adjust it once.

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[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by sutyak

I've never used a torque wrench for spark plugs. Head bolts, flywheel bolts, etc, absolutely.

Me neither until this last time. This is my 3rd spark plug change (I use NGK Coppers) and I decided this time to use a torque wrench because I'm always paranoid about spitting out a spark plug. I always check their tightness at every oil change anyway, but I just wanted the extra piece of mind.

[StangFever2846]

Originally Posted by 01yellerCobra

There should be calibration labs around you guys that you can take your torque wrench to. We charge $40 to calibrate them. I don't have mine on a set schedule. I usually check them before doing major things like engine work.

FWIW, in the time I've had my old Craftsman, roughly 13 years, I've only had to adjust it once. Nice!

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I was thinking about using this to use for calibrating my torque wrenches:

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-d...ter-68283.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIkg94hDswY