pittsburg torque wrench

[AaronW]

I'm trying to torque my new cab mounts to the specified 55 foot pounds. I picked up a cheapie Horror Fright 1/2 drive torque wrench a while back, figuring that it would be fine for occasional use. (Maybe I was wrong...).


I've gotten it to click on exactly one bolt, so far, and I can't get it to click on any more. Any advice for getting the wrench to reset? I've no previous experience using these, so I'm trying to figure out if it's a tool problem or user error. I've been resetting the wrench to zero, and finger tightening the bolts, before using the wrench. I've also beeing using a pretty long extension. I can't see how that might affect performance, but you don't know what you don't know....

Ideas?

Aaron

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

I'm trying to torque my new cab mounts to the specified 55 foot pounds. I picked up a cheapie Horror Fright 1/2 drive torque wrench a while back, figuring that it would be fine for occasional use. (Maybe I was wrong...).


I've gotten it to click on exactly one bolt, so far, and I can't get it to click on any more. Any advice for getting the wrench to reset? I've no previous experience using these, so I'm trying to figure out if it's a tool problem or user error. I've been resetting the wrench to zero, and finger tightening the bolts, before using the wrench. I've also beeing using a pretty long extension. I can't see how that might affect performance, but you don't know what you don't know....

Ideas?

Aaron

I have the Pittsburg 1/2 inch. It's worked fine for me, with all my rebuilding. It's not a bad tool, but maybe you got a defective one.

When your turning the bolt, and it reached the desired torque, did it click twice?
It should click once and you were pulling it, and again as soon as you let go. Maybe it did get stuck.

And are all your tries on the same bolt or all?
If you were tightening the others too, when you reached a similar physical resistance on the wrench, did it seem to stop or shift at all, or does it just keep tightening line a breaker bar? I ask, becuse maybe it is "clicking", but it's not clicking. It could be doing its job, but you can't hear it. Feel the wrench as your doing it. If it is working, you'll feel a tick when you should be hearing it.

Or maybe the others haven't reached that torque yet? If your first bolt reached the torque like it should, than thatd be the one to test on. Try that one again, and see if it clicks again.

 

[AaronW]

I tried again, and am not hearing two clicks. If it is clicking at all, it's so subtle that I may be getting it confused with the little creaks made by the washer against the cab mount.

Per your question, I've tried it on multiple bolts, too. It may be that I'm just not listening for the right thing, but I'm going pretty slowly and carefully, so I'd think I wouldn't miss the sound I'm listening for.

Aaron

 

[TotalyHucked]

Sounds to me like it might be defective, torque wrenches are supposed to give a pretty definitive click that you can feel and/or hear. It shouldn't be so subtle you can miss it. You might call them or go talk to a manager about getting a replacement. I need a new 3/8 torque wrench since a buddy of mine broke my GearWrench one but I've been leery of the Pittsburg ones for that very reason.

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

I tried again, and am not hearing two clicks. If it is clicking at all, it's so subtle that I may be getting it confused with the little creaks made by the washer against the cab mount.

Per your question, I've tried it on multiple bolts, too. It may be that I'm just not listening for the right thing, but I'm going pretty slowly and carefully, so I'd think I wouldn't miss the sound I'm listening for.

Aaron

Well it sounds like it's defective, it's pretty obvious when it happens.
I'd say return or exchange it. And if it's been more than 30 days, buy another one, and put the old one in the new box, then return it.

The only other thing I'm thinking about is, are you sure you're exceeding the torque limit?. Wont click if it hasn't reached it.

 

[AaronW]

I've tightened the others well past where I did get the one bolt to click, so it sounds to me as though my wrench probably defective. That's a good idea, about returning the defective one in the old box. That sounds like a plan to me. Particularly since I live 2 hours from the nearest HF store, so even if I'd discovered it was defective sooner, I still wouldn't have been able to get it back in 30 days.

Aaron

 

[AyWoSch Motors]

I've tightened the others well past where I did get the one bolt to click, so it sounds to me as though my wrench probably defective. That's a good idea, about returning the defective one in the old box. That sounds like a plan to me. Particularly since I live 2 hours from the nearest HF store, so even if I'd discovered it was defective sooner, I still wouldn't have been able to get it back in 30 days.

Aaron

Sounds like you've done everything right, probably just broken. Cheap made in China junk very rarely works as it should.

Yeah, I've had to do that a few times before. We recently had a harbor freight come to town, which is great, but before that the nearest one was in Santa Fe. 2 hour round trip. So Ive been there and done that a few times.

 

[AaronW]

Sounds like you've done everything right, probably just broken. Cheap made in China junk very rarely works as it should.

Yeah, I've had to do that a few times before. We recently had a harbor freight come to town, which is great, but before that the nearest one was in Santa Fe. 2 hour round trip. So Ive been there and done that a few times.

Yep. It now costs me $100 in gas, to go get two months worth of groceries. Good times...