On Mon, 03 Apr 2017 16:18:01 -0700, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Apr 2017 00:10:03 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Sun, 02 Apr 2017 13:39:47 -0700, Larry Jaques wrote:

On Sun, 02 Apr 2017 12:24:35 -0500, Tim Wescott
wrote:

On Sun, 02 Apr 2017 12:28:14 -0400, Phil Kangas wrote:

A friend stopped by and had a question about torquing a large nut left
hand thread to 185 ft lbs. His wrench only torques right hand threads.
It's a clicker type. I said I have one that'll do LH. He said no way,
there are no clickers available in LH. So I dug out mine and showed
him by clamping the square in the vice and sure enough it'll do LH.
He'll need an extension to do the job so just use his 'upside down' on
the extension.
That worked. Then the real question: can a clicker that only torques
RH be used to break loose a nut without damage to the wrench? Like
auto lug nuts for instance. If the nut is too tight, can the one way
clicker be used to break it loose then re-torque? These newer clickers
ratchet both ways LH and RH but only torque RH. My wrench is a 40+
year old Craftsman clicker in good shape. I would never use mine to
break a nut loose. What do you think?
phil k.

(A) I always assumed that all torque wrenches worked both ways

I can't recall seeing one which didn't.


(B) I would never, ever, use a torque wrench to break a nut loose.

No, never.


(C) A flex handle is way cheaper than a torque wrench, as is a piece of
pipe to make it longer than whatever torque wrench you have.

Use a pipe only if you have a warranty on the wrench or ratchet.

I just grab the flex handle that I'm least attached to. Kinda the same
thing.

Ayup. Cheaper than going to a 3/4" drive breaker bar and adapter.
$1 at most testosterone-charged garage sales will get you a nice
breaker, but if not, they're only $10 at HF.

Be careful of the HF breaker bars. Ive busted (2) of them in the last
couple years. Both I think were flawed..as they broke very early on.
The replacements are still going strong.

Over torque them when you get them as a test, before needing one on a
cold raining Saturday evening.