hey all,
im on a budget and i know i will need an impact wrench. i would like to be able to get by with an electric so i dont have to buy an air compressor and pneumatic impact wrench (in the effort of saving money)
the one im interested in produces a max torque of 240 ft/lb.
so my question is:
will 240 ft/lb (or what ever the loaded/avg. torque it actually produces is) break all the bolts loose that i need it to?
like the brace below the transmission (for removal) and the huge bolts holding the crankshaft and such.
thanks all.

 

Save your money. Use a breaker bar. Darn few "budget" impact wrenches will break bolts loose. That's not what they are for anyway.

 

i try using a breaker bar and i can't do it. (how is your breaker bar though?)
like when trying to take the axle nut (the fat one that holds the hub and brakes to the axle) we HAD to use an impact wrench. i think that is what they are for, what else are they used for? i am not talking about the bolts in the engine, i am talking about the bolts that hold the brace to the frame (i probably would need an impact wrench to torque it down to specs when im done anyways). and what about the engine mount bolts and rusted bolts?

another question i have is, how do i break the crankshaft bolt loose? i can't seem to figure out how to lock the crankshaft in place so the pulley wont turn when i am trying to unscrew the bolt.

thanks!

 

Get a good 24" or 36" breaker bar, far more powerfull than any impact wrench pnematic or electric. Unless you want to spen some serious $$$.

If thats still not enough torque slip on a 4' piece of pipe, just watch out for exploding sockets

A good trick for the crank bolt that works most of the time is to put the rig in 4low in gear with the Ebrake on. That should be enough to break the bolt loose. Also try leaving the belts on and have a helper hold the alternator or water pump and resist the turning of them. Just watch the fingers.

 

Rear wheels blocked, park brake set, transmission in gear (manual trans only) should be no problemo.

As for the breaker bar, get about a 12" to 18" piece of pipe to slip over it.
An average guy with a breaker bar can pull more than 250 lbft. And that first crack loose frequently requires a brief hard "yank" that is much higher yet. Never had much luck loosening really tight stuff with impacts. (Although in the shop we do have some big ones that can shear a bolt right off!) Now, tightening is another story. Easy to overdo it and damage stuff with an impact.

 

I'll second the pipe, ive got lengths of pipe from 12" to 4 feet. They get the job done, an impact wrench is nice, but unless you're running a huge wrench with a compressor that will put out enough CFM to run it, i usually save the wrench for putting bolts on.

 

There are many times I wonder how I made it through life with out my impact wrenches. I know several professionals that use electric impact wrenches. I think thay have there place thats for sure. There are times when only a pipe will do but there are also times when an impact wrench even a 200 ft/lb model will really save your bacon. One such time is when pulling crank or cam sprockets off a 3.0, Sure it can be done with a pipe and some skill and planning but the impact makes it Sooooo much easier. How about trying to get a cam sprocket off a 3.0 once you have the cam out and sitting on the bench? I have never done it this way but its hard to use a pipe and a socket when you have no place to clamp the object to hold it with out causing damage. With an impact you would simply hold the cam with one hand and rattle away with the other.

I say go for it but buy a name brand one and make it a 1/2 drive.

northern equipment has quiet a few listed.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...=6970&N=97+430

I had no idea you could buy an electric that would do 722 ft/lbs?
I would take a good look at the northern model for $79 @235ft/lbs


Looking at Zuk's site you will see several pics where he uses an elect Impact in the process of working his diff magic. http://zukaz.tripod.com/

 

There is nothing that I couldnt do without an impact wrench.
PB blaster, a propane torch, a breaker bar, and a pipe to fit over the breaker bar and nothing will stop you.
there is the great trick with the crankshaft bolt, just put the 19mm socket and lay the wrench across the frame or something and bump the engine over for a sec. This is probably the hardest bolt to get off on your entire truck.

with all that, as soon as you can afford air tools, get em.

you might beable to rent a compresser, tank, and wrench if you have a big project for the weekend.

 

cordless impact wrenches are great, but they are not all created equal. i have a snap-on ct3850, which is 18 volts. I believe its rated at 210 ft lbs, but i know for a fact it will break bolts loose that are torqued to 275 without any problems. I use this at work, and It will go all day on a single charge, and takes 45 minutes to charge. These things make jobs go by MUCH faster...

ok, the bad news. it retails for $469 from your local snap-on dealer.

the good news. you can find them on ebay much cheaper on a regular basis.

Now, sears sells one under the craftsman name, and its crap. So is the 18 volt Milwaulkee.

 

also, what makes those nice is the fact that you can throw them in the truck so you have it incase you need it, and it dosent need air or electricity.

 

the snap on 1/2" drive is probably the only good one thats battery operated.... they pretty much all suck... dont waste time with the $50 electric one... it will work, for some things..... also you mention using an impact to torque things down... um thats what a torque wrench is for....

 

since i don't have an air compressor yet, i borrow a 1/2" 300lb milwaukee electric impact wrench. ahh, the fringe benefits of being in the rental business!

impacts are a godsend when you want to take a bolt off of something that'll spin with hand torque, like a flywheel or a t-case flange when the t-case isn't in a truck...

 

alright, you all convinced me, i am using a breaker bar and a pipe. now for the crank shaft bolt, from the info given here i should probably loosen that before i take the tranny out (which i guess needs to be done to remove the motor) sounds good to me. if i have any other questions i will just ask.

thanks guys!

 

put your breaker bar on the bolt and rest it on the driver's side frame rail. pull your coil wire off the distributor and bump the starter. should break it loose pretty quick