so how often do you have your torque wrenche(s) calibrated?
 

Did you know that the book says once a year if the wrench is used much at all? If you are working on aircraft engines FAA says it MUST be calibrated yearly and you'd better have the documentation to prove it. I just recently became aware of this stuff. My 1/2 and 3/8 inch Craftsman 9-44594 and 44595 twist torque wrenches are at least twenty five years old and I've never had them calibrated and I built a couple of engines with them several years after I bought them. I just got an estimate on having them calibrated from Transcat in Houston and it comes to $163.40 before shipping and taxes. For that price I can go buy brand new replacements at Lowes or ACE hardware.

I'm just wondering what you engine builders are doing?

My Snap-On Dealer has a tester on the truck. He can test them, but not do calibrations. If fit tests out of range, he can send them in. My 1/2" was 5 lbs off at 100 and right on at 150, so I didnt worry about it.

I received new Torque Wrenches as a Christmas Present a couple of years ago and had them checked against the Ford Engine Build-up wrenches.
They were very close.

I had the guys give the Torque Wrenches to the Snap-On rep and he sent them in for calibration checks (Certified).
Some time later I received the wrenches back with the calibration sheets. A Snap On "truck test" would be the first step.

Tom V.

I guess the question then becomes (for me anyway): How often are the Snap-On truck testers calibrated?

The rule of thumb is if you are planning on using your torque wrenches regularly they need calibration at least twice a year unless you drop one; then, you don’t use it again until you have it recalibrated. As for the FAA, I have worked in five FAA certified repair stations. Our torque wrenches were calibrated every six months without question.

i don’t worry, i’m the charlie daniels of the torque wrench!

i'd like to get my snap-on 1/2" torque wrench checked, but the rep i spoke with had no way (that I can recall) to check it, and it was REALLY expensive to send it away for calibration.

I never calibrate my beam-type- other than when it was new. If the beam ever gets damaged, over-torqued, heated, or corroded I'll trash it. Barring such beam damage, its accuracy ain't gonna change.
My click-stop wrench- that's another story. I wouldn't trust it if it was calibrated yesterday. I only use it for ballpark torque, if it's a spot that doesn't allow reading a beam wrench- rod caps while engine's in machine, in unpaved pits in the dark of night in the rain....

Accuracy is important but isn’t it more important for the bolts of (for example) the main caps to be all uniform with each other than exactly at spec? So if spec is 95 pounds and your wrench says 95 but all of your bolts are even at what is actually 89 lbs you should be okay, correct?


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I calibrated my click type wrenches myself. They are easily adjustable, usually with a socket head screw inside the handle.

Easy enough to make a test rig ... I use a 2' lever and a 50 lb weight, simple math. Also check them with a load cell type torque indicator. Pretty easy to get them within their stated accuracy range. Course this is for my own benefit ... we don't need no stinkin certificates :)

But I guess if you typically require enough accuracy to warrant building your own test rig .. you probably should be having them professionally calibrated .. I just did it to see if it could be done.

Thanks for all of the responses. I'm going to send my two wrenches to Transcat in Houston and have them calibrated. After twenty five years or more they deserve it I think., and I will feel better.

My Half-Inch and 3/8 TQ Beams were never recalibrated.

Did some Bolt TQs with the 1/2" beam, then switched to the Digital 1/2" and rather enjoyed the indications when TQ was reached.

The Digital Half-Inch and 3/8 TQ Snap-On Wrenches took a little to familiarize, then became my go-to.

After using the tq wrench remember to dial it back to zero or less.
FedEx a/c maint. has its own calibration dept. for wrenches, gauges, etc.
Mandatory once a year & a decal is applied, FAA compliant.

I have a Craftsman click type torque wrench that is 25+ years old that I have kept in perfect condition (never abused). I have never had it calibrated but I only use it for suspension work like ball joints, tie rods and control arm bolts. For engine assembly I have 2 Warren and Brown deflecting beam torque wrenches, one 3/8 and the other 1/2 drive. They are made in Australia and due to their unique design are considered to be the most accurate torque wrenches. According to the manufacturer they never need to be calibrated as long as they are treated properly. I have assembled several engines with these wrenches and have never had a problem

Well...
 

I would trust those USA made Craftsman over the chicom stuff they sell now-a-days. We have loaner Torque wrenches at my work and they are just crap, even the ones we sell are cheap junk. :)

Me too which is one reason I'm having these calibrated. I could buy two brand new craftsman equivalent wrenches for less than it will cost me to have these done but who is to say they will be as good as these will be when I get them back?

So how often do you have
 

I asked a similar question not long ago. Advice was to have recalibrated by Snap On dealer. Checked with a friend who has a Snap On rep call on his shop weekly. He said the Snap On rep told him no way he could provide this service(of course he would be happy to sell me one of his new high dollar wrenches) Still searching for somebody to recalibrate my Craftsman.

With the government it’s generally about twice a year.

Some of them are 3 times some of them are 1. I’m honestly not sure how the schedule is determined. I assume it’s recommendations from the OEM of the tool itself.

As was mentioned earlier, if you drop it you have to take it out of service.

Also they need to be stored at their lowest torque setting which most hobbyists probably don’t do. The calibration team stresses that. They say long term they see more wrenches damaged from improper storage than anything else.

https://www.teamtorque.com/torque-wrenches
$50 plus shipping for a click-type torque wrench 250 ft/lbs or lower.
https://www.teamtorque.com/service-repairs
Price list:
https://d3ciwvs59ifrt8.cloudfront.ne...4ed75704e4.pdf


Entirely depends on the design of the torque wrench.

The "split-beam" style wrench can be stored with the torque set at any position. In general, "micrometer-adjusting" torque wrenches need to be returned to their lowest indicated torque (not to "zero".)

I'm sending both my 3/8" and 1/2" craftsmans to Transcat in Houston and their number is 800-828-1470. They have labs all over the country.

Way back 50 years ago The Air Force Reg for us weapons troops was to get it calibrated every month or if we dropped it. In Thailand we we loading 1000 500 pound bombs a month plus a myriad of other munitions. Each of bomb rack's 2 sway braces had to be torqued to 100 inch pounds.

I wasn’t familiar with Warren & Brown torque wrenches, so I looked them up online. Interesting system; reminds me of the Snap-On torque meters I used years ago( and have recently re-acquired). Just may have to purchase one.

I occasionlly take two of mine, put on in a vice, and use a deep socket to link together. If both are close it is good. If not I pull out a third.

I looked them up also, not being familiar. Look very nice indeed. Some similarity to the TQ series Snap-on as well. Commonly called the split beam.

I remember reading an article once that claimed a deflecting beam wrench was "technically" the most accurate but depended much on operator skill. And that they kept their accuracy far longer because there was no mechanism to "tire out", very little change based on normal temps, no springs etc. That good "beam" metal would basically maintain it's physical properties indefinitely unless stressed beyond it's design parameters. There is basically nothing to get out of calibration.

Agree, My ME Instructors in college, Richard Hathaway, (among others) said that there was more "error" in the human using the thing vs the torque wrench if it was properly made and used correctly.

Tom V.

A standard deflecting beam torque wrench requires the user to look directly down on the scale to read it properly. That’s where the user error comes in. If you look at the scale from an angle you won’t be able to read it correctly. A Warren & Brown has a pin that you push in to set the torque wrench before you use it. When the correct torque is reached the pin will “pop”. The “pop” is both visible and audible. I other words the wrench alerts you when the torque is reached.

That made me giggle and snort...