please stop! TV shows reinforcing bad habits...

currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for
my '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of
someone tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5
minutes! Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening.
come on people...

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

Nate, people in the know don't take that show or any of these "tv shortcut
specials" seriously, the rest will learn.
"Nate Nagel" > wrote in message
...
> currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for my
> '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of someone
> tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5 minutes!
> Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening. come on
> people...
>
> nate
>
> --
> replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
> http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel



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I agree, Nate, Impacts should be primarily for loosening. I cringe at
times when I see an impact used to tighten lug nuts, even if the guy
"adjusts" the impact to slip at certain ft.lb.


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Nate Nagel > wrote in article
>...
> currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for
> my '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of
> someone tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5
> minutes! Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening.
> come on people...
>


You have, obviously, never attempted to earn a living as a flat-rate
automotive technician......

Air tools are our friends......

An experienced technician can still tighten with an impact wrench, air
ratchet, etc. and stop with plenty of room left for the ol' Snap-On
Torque-O-Meter to make the last turn......

I do it all the time.....and I have not had to back a lug nut off in order
to pull it back down to correct torque......

* wrote:
> Nate Nagel > wrote in article
> >...
> > currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for
> > my '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of
> > someone tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5
> > minutes! Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening.
> > come on people...
> >
>
>
> You have, obviously, never attempted to earn a living as a flat-rate
> automotive technician......
>

Nope, I would SUCK at it! anything aluminum would get polished,
anything painted would get repainted, and anything rusty would get a
little dip in the electrolytic derusting tank before priming, painting,
etc... I do this so I can have a nice car, not to make money! (and if
you figure it out at an hourly rate, after shop supplies, parts, etc.
I'm probably making... oh... a buck or two an hour.)

I seriously doubt a pro shop would do an engine swap the way I'm going
about it...

http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel/55coupe9.html

> Air tools are our friends......
>
> An experienced technician can still tighten with an impact wrench, air
> ratchet, etc. and stop with plenty of room left for the ol' Snap-On
> Torque-O-Meter to make the last turn......
>
> I do it all the time.....and I have not had to back a lug nut off in order
> to pull it back down to correct torque......

I believe you, but what I saw was not a "zing" with the impact. I
still think that's a bad practice and something I probably wouldn't do
unless I was in a big hurry (I prefer to use a socket on a speed
handle) but then again, I'm not trying to "beat the book" and if you
really are getting more rotation on the fasteners before the torque
wrench clicks, you must be doing something right. What I saw on TV was
someone running the nuts on until the air gun stopped, basically full
torque. Very cringe-inducing.

nate

N8N > wrote in article
.com>...
>
>
> Nope, I would SUCK at it! anything aluminum would get polished,
> anything painted would get repainted, and anything rusty would get a
> little dip in the electrolytic derusting tank before priming, painting,
> etc... I do this so I can have a nice car, not to make money! (and if
> you figure it out at an hourly rate, after shop supplies, parts, etc.
> I'm probably making... oh... a buck or two an hour.)
>
> I seriously doubt a pro shop would do an engine swap the way I'm going
> about it...
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel/55coupe9.html
>
>
> I believe you, but what I saw was not a "zing" with the impact. I
> still think that's a bad practice and something I probably wouldn't do
> unless I was in a big hurry (I prefer to use a socket on a speed
> handle) but then again, I'm not trying to "beat the book" and if you
> really are getting more rotation on the fasteners before the torque
> wrench clicks, you must be doing something right. What I saw on TV was
> someone running the nuts on until the air gun stopped, basically full
> torque. Very cringe-inducing.
>


Well, there's your problem !

Watching ham-handed, pretty boys who probably couldn't tell the front of
the vehicle from the back without the assistance of the "Technical
Director" - that's the guy with the blue Dickies work uniform who does all
the "pre-loosening, pre-removal, etc. - is going to be frustrating.

Most of the people on these Saturday/Sunday "Power Hour" shows have been
hired because of......

a.) The way they look on television.....

b.) The ability to attract sponsors.....

c.) The ability to get Daddy to write a check to cover
production/distribution costs....

d.) The ability to selects a wrench from a rock pile......

I used to watch such crap - forever hopeful of seeing something new that I
could apply in my own shop, but it is a total waste of time.

Same goes for the Monster Garage/American HotRod/Overhaulin' shows.

While Overhaulin' - because of its more professional atmosphere (no
telling, back-biting, etc. - would be my pick if I were forced to make a
choice, even that show is simply a case of buying and installing a bunch
of new parts.

I don't think lawyers and insurance companies will EVER allow us to see a
how-to-make/modify-something show again.

Television has followed the lead of the automotive enthusiasts'
magazines......let's show the audience how to bolt-on some of our
advertisers' products.

There is no real educational value there.

I can appreciate your way of doing things, and that's how nice cars are
built and maintained.

I am semi-retired due to health issues, and I only work a few hours per
week in my shop these days - primarily motorsports fabrication.

My customers know that they drop their cars off, assign a project, and I
will work on it as my health allows.....an hour today, four hours tomorrow,
etc.

I, too, add those little finishing touches such as engine-turning many of
the aluminum pieces I make.

The money I make pretty much just covers expenses.

They will get a call when it is done.

If they become frustrated at the time factor, they are welcome to come and
pick it up in its current state, pay what they owe, and we remain
friends.....no hard feelings whatsoever.

I then simply make another call to the next person on my list.

"Nate Nagel" > wrote in message
...
> currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for
> my '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of
> someone tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5
> minutes! Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening.
> come on people...

And "Trucks" is for selling useless accessories to dim wits.

Ed

C. E. White wrote:
> "Nate Nagel" > wrote in message
> ...
> > currently watching "Trucks" on Spike while looking online for parts for
> > my '55 STude project... I swear they've had at least 3 or 4 shots of
> > someone tightening down a nut with an impact wrench in the last 5
> > minutes! Impacts are for loosening, torque wrenches are for tightening.
> > come on people...
>
> And "Trucks" is for selling useless accessories to dim wits.

Well, it was the best substitute available to actually installing the
engine in my car, seeing as it was pouring down buckets at the time
that I posted. It obviously is not a good one.

nate

....still waiting for my 11/32" ream to come in so I can put the dowel
pins in my bellhousing... as an aside, I am very glad that I work for
a company that deals with Grainger; were it not for them I haven't a
clue how I would get anything done.