So I got a Mastercraft Maximum 3/8 drive torque wrench for Christmas, and when I went to test it out for the first time today the thing wouldn't click or give at any low to medium setting!! I read the instruction manual it came with and I discovered it says the wrench will only click "at high torque settings". WTF is the point of labelling a torque wrench for 30-250 inch/lbs when it will only click at over 200 inch/lbs!! I already have the 1/2 drive Mastercraft Maximum torque wrench and that is a thing of beauty, but this 3/8 version was absolute garbage.

So I went back to CT and told them it was defective and wanted to replace it. But I didn't want to get another defective wrench so I tested out all their Mastercraft and Mastercraft Maximum 3/8 torque wrenches with the help of their auto shop manager (who btw seemed to have the IQ of a bag of door ***** from aisle 11), but every single one we tested was also defective.

NOT A SINGLE TORQUE WRENCH clicked or gave any indication of reaching the set torque limit.

I wanted one of these inch/lb torque wrenches for spring time for replacing the plenum, timing cover, valve cover and a bunch of other small engine stuff...but now I don't know where to get a properly functioning one

 

I think you'll find that the wrench will 'give' when it reaches its torque setting at any setting but only 'click' audibly at higher ones. The mechanism is a spring loaded cam that goes over center at the set torque. You just need to develop the feel for it.

 

^ +1

The only way to get audible for low torque specs is with a low torque specific wrench. Snap on has one but $400 for plenum bolts probably isn't at the top of your lost....

use left hand torque specs, screw torque wrenches lol My plenum is on by feel.

 

I agree with what the others are saying Bahram. When you are talking about an inch pound torque wrench, you can feel it click at low torques but you might not hear it with a loud click unless it is an expensive wrench like snap on.. I used to have a good inch-pound wrench, but I lent it out years ago and it never came back. I never bothered to replace it.

I use mostly my 3/8"drive torque wrench which is only from 5-80 ft/lbs ( I can hear the click even at 5 ft/lbs), but you can never rely on a true reading right at the bottom end or right at the top end of the range.
I also have a 10-150 ft/lb 1/2" drive torque wrench. (with this wrench I can also hear the click as low as 10 Ft/lbs)

One thing to remember is most good torque wrenches are accurate in a clockwise direction to + or- 4% from 20% of full scale to full scale of that particular torque wrench.


To me it sounds like that 3/8 drive wrench is crap. I would not get it.


The only inch pound torque wrenches I have used are Snap on and you could always feel and hear the click when you hit your torque setting.

 

^^ Knows from tools. Pay heed.

 

Learned this lesson too when putting in my Plenum- had exactly the same issues. Horizontal- no problem but in the vertical plane? Nothing. Plenum went on fine. Throttle body? Not so much.