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ok so im fittin to change my oil for the first time, but want to make sure i torq down the drain plug properly. in the manual it says 40 Nm, now what does that mean in terms of ft. lb.? is it 29.5 ft lb.

why are these wrenchs so dam expensive ; \

yes, it is 29.5 ft-lbs

A really good torque wrench will have dials showing Nm and ft-lbs on the dial

iwannadie wrote: why are these wrenchs so dam expensive ; \

A beam-type torque wrench from Sears should only cost about $30 and is basically trouble free, great for DIY type stuff. The pricier ones (Click type especially) need calibration every so often - not practical for home use.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... site=CRAFT

TechBMW wrote:

iwannadie wrote: why are these wrenchs so dam expensive ; \

A beam-type torque wrench from Sears should only cost about $30 and is basically trouble free, great for DIY type stuff. The pricier ones (Click type especially) need calibration every so often - not practical for home use.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product. ... site=CRAFT

well sears has the clicky type for 59$ probally worth it over the other style. im sure trying to read the dial in hard to see places will turn out to be more hassle than its worth. and less accurate also trying to see .5 on the dial?

While some purists may frown upon thiis advise, it isnt necessary to torque the oil drain bolt *exactly* upto the required specs. Torque specifications are given to prevent the bolt/threads on the engine from shearing, and should be considered as an upper limit. (Of course torquing it too low, will cause the vibrations to loosen the bolt.

but a 10% variation is allowed, especially since the drain bolt is not subjject to impact stresses like cylinder head bolts.

So dont worry about being able to reading as finely as 0.5 on the dial.

kar_the_terrible wrote: but a 10% variation is allowed, especially since the drain bolt is not subjject to impact stresses like cylinder head bolts.

So dont worry about being able to reading as finely as 0.5 on the dial.

Which is also why a beam-type wrench is great for a home mechanic - they have a 4% variation, which is well within acceptable limits.

im just the type of person if im going to do something i like to research fully and then really do it right(if i can). to me spending the extra 20 bucks on the better wrench to be exact with something is worth it. also the ease of use, like i said trying to look in hard to see places looking at the dial would be a pain for me i think. if it has a 4% variation and i dont see the dial clearly the torq could be way off to the point the torq wrench is useless. i just worry about screwing up something like the oil plug just because its easy enough to do right but doing it wrong will totally screw you.

You'll be glad you have one, either kind. Axle nuts, fork end bolts, handlebar bolts, brake caliper bolts, spark plugs...many, many places to use a torque wrench, once you own one. The click type is espaecially handy for automotive work, where you would have to be upside down in the engine compartment to read the beam style (not common, but it can happen on some of these newer, cramped cars.) Actually, it's not that bad, but the extra convenience of set it and turn til it clicks is very cool.

Ok ok, you want the more expensive one ...

No probs - just make sure you care for it (store it properly, don't drop it, etc etc) It should treat you just fine.

TechBMW wrote:Ok ok, you want the more expensive one ...

No probs - just make sure you care for it (store it properly, don't drop it, etc etc) It should treat you just fine.

haha. so how do you calibrate the clicky type one? does it need it done often?