cheap torque wrench okay for engine?

[loner]

I'll probably err on the side of caution and cowardice and get a mechanic to put my engine back together,

but before I throw in the towel completely, I'm wondering if a repco bought torque wrench (which cost $80

and which is fine for wheel nuts and suspension parts etc) is good enough for torquing up head bolts and

camshaft brackets etc?

I have read up on the torquing procedure of the heads and noted that the procedure itself might be more

important than the torque specs.

[Jono24]

You can get a reasonable 3/8" wrench from the likes of Trade tools or George Henry.

George Henry had a 3/8 40-110Nm wrench for $130 which i bought, seems good but i'm no expert.

Watch this video before you give up, it's not that hard.

[loner]

 Jono24 said:

You can get a reasonable 3/8" wrench from the likes of Trade tools or George Henry.

George Henry had a 3/8 40-110Nm wrench for $130 which i bought, seems good but i'm no expert.

Watch this video before you give up, it's not that hard.

lols, I was just watching that very video

[Guest]

What make wrench?

[loner]

mech pro... I could take it back and get something like below I guess... but still a cheapy.

http://www.buytoolsonline.co.nz/shop/handtools/12in-dr-preset-torque-wrench-120nm/

[Andy_Mac]

Yuck, mech pro is pretty up there for ****ty tools. Haven't used their torque wrenches but most of there other stuff isn't even worth the cheap prices you pay.

Teng is alright though. Got one of those a few months back, has been spot on for what i've needed it for atleast

[loner]

yeah, I didn't realise it was a mech pro until I looked at the receipt... might keep it for less critical heavy duty stuff

and get something better for the engine... or just take it back actually.

Edited November 8, 2015 by loner

[lachlan]

The initial figures for head gaskets u could pretty much do with the right lenght bar and a fish scale

[Jono24]

Take it back, talk to a proper engineering toolshop, they don't need to be super expensive for your application.

[loner]

Good call, I'll take it back and go see Twiggs, they have a good range.

On the subject of heads... both cam seals on one side were installed badly causing leaks, with the inner lips folder under

The head nuts on one side are all 14mm but all 16mm on the other... and the head bolts on one side all protrude through the nuts

an equal amount, about 1.5 cm... but on the other side they are all different lengths. All the bolts say arp 2000 on them.

[boon]

 loner said:

Good call, I'll take it back and go see Twiggs, they have a good range.

On the subject of heads... both cam seals on one side were installed badly causing leaks, with the inner lips folder under

The head nuts on one side are all 14mm but all 16mm on the other... and the head bolts on one side all protrude through the nuts

an equal amount, about 1.5 cm... but on the other side they are all different lengths. All the bolts say arp 2000 on them.

I ducked into Twiggs at the weekend, they have some random brand (Toptul?) Torque wrenches that actually look pretty decent, similar money to that Teng one.

As for the head bolts etc... sounds like a bit of a bitsa, maybe the different length ones aren't wound all the way in, or got backed out a bit when undoing the nuts originally?

[loner]

yeah it's a bit worrying. 4 out of the 10 are shorter or deeper... I will find out eventually.

I was kinda just hoping to find the rings were rooted, and no other problems... not all kinds of

cowboy ****.

[boon]

 loner said:

yeah it's a bit worrying. 4 out of the 10 are shorter or deeper... I will find out eventually.

I was kinda just hoping to find the rings were rooted, and no other problems... not all kinds of

cowboy ****.

Dare I say it but it's not a BP special is it?

EDIT: I'm about to do something similar (assemble an engine myself for the first time ever), only I'm using a relatively poverty-spec Honda motor, so if it all turns to **** at least I haven't broken an expensive EJ20 race motor

I also got an engineer to do the slightly more sensitive bits (installation and stretch-torqueing the ARP rod bolts) because if I messed that up I imagine the motor would last all of 15 minutes.

[loner]

no, it was at some point a nice PBMS build (circa 2010), I'm not sure what's happened to it since then though.

I have been told the block hasn't been split at all but the heads have been reconditioned recently. I

believe (so far) that the heads were reconditioned properly, but installed onto the block by a muppet...

probably the previous owner. It's only done 20,000 kms since the rebuild but spent 2 years sitting outside.

Cylinder 3 is oily out of the exhaust, so I hope it's just the rings. Though I found recently that it's running lean

on boost, so maybe that piston has been overheated and cracked.

[boon]

 loner said:

no, it was at some point a nice PBMS build (circa 2010), I'm not sure what's happened to it since then though.

I have been told the block hasn't been split at all but the heads have been reconditioned recently. I

believe (so far) that the heads were reconditioned properly, but installed onto the block by a muppet...

probably the previous owner. It's only done 20,000 kms since the rebuild but spent 2 years sitting outside.

Cylinder 3 is oily out of the exhaust, so I hope it's just the rings. Though I found recently that it's running lean

on boost, so maybe that piston has been overheated and cracked.

Hopefully it is just a case of muppet installation of nice items...

I'd have a damn good look at the ring lands on that piston.

[loner]

Heads off... studs are all the same length, but some were loose in the block and others tight.

Two have a smaller hex hole (?) than the others, so there is some mix 'n' match going on.

There was some debris at the top of bore number 3... but no obvious damage on the top of the

piston, so I strongly suspect the ring lands.

I assume I can buy individual pistons?

[Jono24]

 boon said:

I ducked into Twiggs at the weekend, they have some random brand (Toptul?) Torque wrenches that actually look pretty decent, similar money to that Teng one.

As for the head bolts etc... sounds like a bit of a bitsa, maybe the different length ones aren't wound all the way in, or got backed out a bit when undoing the nuts originally?

The one i got from George Henry was Toptul, they recomended it over the other similar priced ones, maybe they had better mark up? either way it is the one i got.

[boon]

 loner said:

Heads off... studs are all the same length, but some were loose in the block and others tight.

Two have a smaller hex hole (?) than the others, so there is some mix 'n' match going on.

There was some debris at the top of bore number 3... but no obvious damage on the top of the

piston, so I strongly suspect the ring lands.

I assume I can buy individual pistons?

Yup, hopefully they're just an off-the-shelf item... it's not a weird stroker or anything is it?

[loner]

not a stroker... fingers crossed it's an off the shelf item.

Now I need to decide how much stuff to replace... just the one piston

and rings... or all the rings... or additionally split the block and

replace the bearings too. If the piston is busted from detonation, there

will be an increase risk of the big end bearing being damaged I guess

[GC8E2DD]

Ring up the guy(s) who pinched your last coupe and ask for the brand new EJ207 back ...

[loner]

I wish I could. Rebuilding two motors in one year sucks... that's why I'm trying to be cheap and do this one myself.

[megamac]

The man with the Snap-On truck comes to my work on a weekly basis, he has a torque scale..

My cheap $80 repco one was almost spot on

[pedro]

The exact torque value quoted by manufacturers is not that critical as long as you get close to it..

More important that bolts/nuts are tighted to an equal value..

So a cheap torque wrench will do the job 99% of the time...

[loner]

I ended up get a Teng Tools 1/2 inch... I really like their tools and they are actually not too expensive.

[hijacka]

For around $80 you can go to supercheap auto and order in a toledo 1/2inch torque wrench that will be fine for whatever round the home;)

http://www.tridon.com.au/products/Toledo/18/327577/spanners-and-wrenches/409461/torque-products/427689/301099