# Electric impact wrenches are useless



## Bugalou (Mar 31, 2004)

I tried to get my axle nut off today(88 pulsar) to replace my half shaft on the driver side front, I tried using my friends electric impact wrench and it did squat..Next I used my socket wrench and a 5 foot long pipe on the end, busted my socket wrench....I had enough of this sht so I went down to home depot and got a 6hp 60 gallon air compressor(coleman) and one of them sets that include air wrench,air hammer,air rachet and alot of other strange crap......This setup looks a bit complicated, diagram shows oiler attachments, filter attachments,all kinds of different connectors...I thought I could just slap the hose on the compressor and fire away..Its raining now, I'll screw around with it next weekend...Yesterday I replaced the break pads and installed my new strut( all new bushings,mounts etc..) without any problems on the front passenger side, it was actually quite easy...Also put on the JC whitney spring expanders, should get me 1 1/2 inchs more height on the front...I still have to replace a faulty injector and install a thermostat(I dread this one) but the pulsar should be good to go on the road next Sunday..

Dave


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## sno (Oct 4, 2002)

get yourself a breaker bar, it's a long bar with a socket attachment on the end. it'll be one of the more valuable tools in your garage.


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

Man that sux. These things always happen when your car is more than 5 years old. 
I couldn't even get the housing off my thermostat. It was fused on something fierce. In the end my mechanic had to torch it, so I didn't feel like such a wuss. Good luck.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

sno said:


> get yourself a breaker bar, it's a long bar with a socket attachment on the end. it'll be one of the more valuable tools in your garage.


i'll show you what happens to breaker bars when doing those axle nuts...i've got one thats now 90degrees


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## Mervic (May 1, 2002)

500 ft/lbs. impact wrench and a good impact socket should do the trick.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

damn, I just use my 1/2" drive 1-1/2' 150 ft-lb torque wrench for breaking stuff loose, hasn't failed me yet.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> damn, I just use my 1/2" drive 1-1/2' 150 ft-lb torque wrench for breaking stuff loose, hasn't failed me yet.


i'd be afriad of braking the torqure wrench, they're pricey


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## Mervic (May 1, 2002)

^^I agree with GSolo. Use a breaker bar instead.


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

well I wouldn't think it would break, it just goes "click" when you reach the set limit, although I have snapped several extensions, I buy craftsman now so I can just go get it replaced for free when I break it.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> well I wouldn't think it would break, it just goes "click" when you reach the set limit, although I have snapped several extensions, I buy craftsman now so I can just go get it replaced for free when I break it.


you talking about torqing it down or breaking a nut off???


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

both, but I've never had it click on me when braking stuff lose, I just turn it up as far as it will go(150 ft-lbs).


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## NewbieNX (Jan 6, 2004)

sno said:


> get yourself a breaker bar, it's a long bar with a socket attachment on the end. it'll be one of the more valuable tools in your garage.



Second this suggestion, I was doing a break job on my 90 Pulsar and had the loaner 30mm axle socket and bought a breaker bar, took care of it in a jiffy had to stand my 250 pound body on the breaker bar but it got it off easy enough.


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## Lumberg (Apr 14, 2004)

Gsolo said:


> i'll show you what happens to breaker bars when doing those axle nuts...i've got one thats now 90degrees


You guys must have shitty tools man. Get yourself craftsman, husky/rigid, or Kobalt (Sears, Home Depot, and Lowe's brands respectively). Lifetime warranty.

Of course if you really want to go top of the line Snap-On is the best but I don't think they are a good value.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

Lumberg said:


> You guys must have shitty tools man. Get yourself craftsman, husky/rigid, or Kobalt (Sears, Home Depot, and Lowe's brands respectively). Lifetime warranty.
> 
> Of course if you really want to go top of the line Snap-On is the best but I don't think they are a good value.



it was craftsman  broken craftsman ratchets before too...i've had stuff that would probably make you guys cringe. ever have to use an impact on a spark plug...i have


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## BennittoMallito (May 20, 2002)

Arrr! This thread be officially hi-jacked :cheers:

Somebody break out that funny pirate icon. 

Sorry bug'z this can happen to noob'z sometimes


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

32mm socket and the handle off my floorjack baby. Busting your nuts made easy.


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## B11sleeper (Oct 15, 2003)

Popkorn said:


> 32mm socket and the handle off my floorjack baby. Busting your nuts made easy.


that works too.

sometimes i get lazy and use the wrench and the jack itself and just pump up the jack and slowly force it off using hydraulic power.

At the junkyard I needed to get the plate that holds the ball joint to the control arm after a littler incedent, and resorted to using an exhaust section to get more leverage and not ruin the nuts on the part i was trying to get. worked wonderfully with 7 ft of leverage.

:cheers:


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

B11sleeper said:


> sometimes i get lazy and use the wrench and the jack itself and just pump up the jack and slowly force it off using hydraulic power.


with my luck id lift the car up


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

If you're lucky enough to get a 1/2-drive 32mm socket with a hex head by the wrench end, you can put a pipe wrench on 'er, cheater-pipe it an' ergo! Otherwise, better get a 1/2-drive 32mm impact socket and a name-brand breaker bar. If push comes to shove, get a big cold chisel, a 24-ounce framer hammer (Hold the chisel with big Vise-Grips) and wham the nut counter-clockwise all around until it breaks loose; You might wanna use some heat, too (Propane torch). Of course, with the latter, you'll need new nuts (Sounds kinda Bobbitt-ish...LOL). Best to ye...


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## Spelchy (Jun 24, 1987)

my electric impact wrench has gotten me out of a lot of rusty situations.. but i also keep a pipe wrench & snipe handy.. I also have a set of metric snap-on wrenches  I got the set at a garage sale for $25 cdn. Man I rule.

Has anyone tried out those mastercraft sockets that you use to grab stripped nuts & bolts?


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## 1989SentraOK (Jan 29, 2004)

Haha my grandpa's got one of those air guns with the huge-ass air tank, that thing's fuckin' awesome, we used that shit and had the clutch/pressure plate assembly off in two minutes (Once we had everything outta the way to get to it.)


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

1989SentraOK said:


> Haha my grandpa's got one of those air guns with the huge-ass air tank, that thing's fuckin' awesome, we used that shit and had the clutch/pressure plate assembly off in two minutes (Once we had everything outta the way to get to it.)


I've been looking at compressors. Seems to be a big difference in price from a 3hp to a 6. What kind of CFM is good/better/best for air tools?


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## Elbow Greese (Feb 22, 2004)

Becareful with using a torque wrench when braking stuff loose. You can mess up the calibration of it or brake it completely. Braker bar is the best "hand tool" for the job.
Also, Craftsman won't warrenty their torque wrenches past 90 days (I know this from experience).
For CFM on air tools, as much as you can get. some of them really suck the air down.
impact wrenches, grinders, ratchets are among the higher capacity ones.
When shopping for compressors, look at the CFM at the lower PSI rating (when it kicks back on to refill). That wil give you a better idea of what will keep up with you when using the tools continuously.
Hope that helps,
Todd


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## minute rice sentra (Mar 21, 2003)

I don't see how the torque wrench could break unless I kept pushing after it clicked. And I wasn't aware of the 90 day thing, thanks.


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## Gsolo (Sep 11, 2003)

minute rice sentra said:


> I don't see how the torque wrench could break unless I kept pushing after it clicked. And I wasn't aware of the 90 day thing, thanks.


you can break the spring in it. And it also stretches it out so it becomes uncalibrated and not very acurate


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## recycled_toddler (Feb 4, 2004)

spelch said:


> but i also keep a pipe wrench & snipe handy...


'Snipe'? Where do you go hunting for those? Still haven't found one yet.


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## B11sleeper (Oct 15, 2003)

recycled_toddler said:


> 'Snipe'? Where do you go hunting for those? Still haven't found one yet.


i think they have a preserve for em up in canada.


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