okay i took off my valve cover and my cam caps to get to my cam seal. i did this without purchasing a torque wrench forceing myself to buy one now. im going to sears tomorrow to purchase one.. what do i need in a torque wrench. 3/8 torque wrench or a 1/2? and how much foot pounds do i really need(for future projects). i dont want to spend over 150 for one. craftsman has one for 65.00$ 1/2 inch with 20 to 150 foot pounds. help me out

thanks in advance

 

I have a big one and a small one. The big one is 1/2" and it's strictly for big ****, like the big bolts that are under you car that hold the chassis parts (control arms, engine cradle, motor mounts, etc) to the frame of the car.

I also have a small one, one of those old fashioned kinds with the metal rod in the middle that tells you how much torque in inch/lbs you are putting down. That one is the one I used for the valve cover if I remember correctly. You want to make sure you check with a Haynes manual to get the exact torque specs for that tightening sequence, or you could easily snap off one of your bolts like my friend did when he did his. If I remember correctly the torque for the valve cover nuts is like 80 inch/lbs, but make sure you check either with Honda or with a Haynes book and make SURE. Good luck.

Oh, and I bought the 1/2" wrench at Auto Zone for like $30. Don't pay Craftsman prices dude. They're good tools, but they're double the price of anyone else's.

 

get the snap on torque wrench. the digital one is dope

 

i see craftsman has a digital one also. both are expensive.. get a 3/8 drive. and you should be alright