DO NOT USE CHEEP TORQUE WRENCHES!!
Turbo Mini Forums

after blowing 2 hea gaskets in probably no more than 500 miles at 7psi and having the head skimmed, i checked my cheep argos torque wrench against a halfords one and the cheep one at 50 nm, and then the halfords one at 50nm the halfods one tightend it by another quater of a turn!!!!!! i do really hope this is the reason thats its been blowing the gaskets and not something more expensive.

the only reason for this post is for people to learn from my mistakes its cost me loads of time off the road, a head skim and 2 head gaskets, it would have much much easyer to buy a decent torque wrench in the first place.

thanks! Dan

and a really really big thank you to benross for pointoing this out so i could check it:)

Edited by pot_dan on 3rd Jul, 2007.

you should be able to work out how far out it is. tighten something up to 50nm with the shit one then keep winding the other good one up bit by bit then youll know what you had tightened up your head to.

Edited by Carl on 3rd Jul, 2007.

no longer a series, but still 1.3 turbo.

I had the exact same problem. My TR was reading 55NM but only making 28NM!!

It was a good excuse to get my head sent to Mr Benross though!

In the 13's at last!.. Just

I snapped a head stud a couple of months ago by overtightening it using a cheapo torque wrench..

Bought a halfords professional one since then and the difference between the two is huge.

I did offer to calibrat torque wrenches at Avon Park. However, at the moment I can't find the gauge to do the job.

If I find it I'll bring it, but I don't hold out much hope unfortunatly.

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

ALWAYS wind the spring off after use
this is the golden rule
this is the main problem, people forget

so halfords ones are good then?

i need to get one as iv been using my dads old one which is a old fashiond thing with a rod that points to how much torque you have got it to! lol

My build thread..

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums/index.php?p=vt&tid=542985

Hi,
Those pointer ones aren't much good as you can bent the pointer to read anything you want.
Use a good quality one, prefereably get it calibrated, and like Benross says wind it back to zero when you've finished
Cheers,
Gavin :)

VEMs Authorised Installer / Re-seller. K head kits now available!

WB/EGT gauges. Click here for customers write-up

Visit www.doyouneedabrain.co.uk

My Mini build diary

morale of the story, don't buy cheap argos tools, or any cheap tools

i always wind it back to zero when i have finished and i bought it brand new to do the head when i first got it about 3 months ago now. and had this problem from the the first weekend out in it.
i have to kind of disagree with no cheep toodl at all IMO, my method was to buy a cheep set of spanners and so on and replace anything that broke with expesive ones as i could not afford it all in one go and so far i am please with what tools i do have. just a bugger when an important tool breaks just when you need it..

thanks. Dan

learned that lesson 35 years ago, in colleage, i think it was in phisics

got myself some new tools today - socket and ratchet spanner set, but need a new torque wrench since my dad very kindly scratched it and i cant read half the numbers now

yo should give up on learning, it only leads to headaches, stick to shit we no and have cofedence in it