Undoing Bolts, nut cracker, torque multiplier?

[Bala]

need to look at better options than a 6 ft pipe on the end of the 1" breaker bar for undoing sprocket bolts etc, happens to be on the D85 today.

I have a 1" drive electric impact wrench but thats not enough,

I have never used or seen a torque multiplier, I see there are 1" drive nut cracker units for around $100, does not seem to me that for that much money you would get something that would last with the torque needed to undo these bolts, but that why I am here.

We have a torque wrench big enough for our needs to do them up, but what should I look for to undo them???

 

[tctractors]

In my last few pic's in Shop Talk you will see 1 of my torque multipiers being used on wheel nuts, this gismo will snap them off if they dont undo with little fuss or strain, in general the multiplier will undo fasteners in a very controlled smooth style, the gismo in the pic is 1 1/2" drive out with a 23 to 1 gearing, it makes easy work of pig bolts, I also have a 2"drive out with 32 to 1 gearing that is fitted within a fancy frame to ether jamb in or chain down, but it is a heavy chunk to handle, I cannot recall what I paid for them only that they were bought second hand, they are not everyones needed bit of iron so the price used is low.

 

[Bala]

In my last few pic's in Shop Talk

I thought where is shop talk, scrolled down and found a whole new world of forum sections I never new existed!!

 

[nickbowers]

we paid $400 for ours, its magic. takes wheel nuts, track bolts ect off easily. Had it for over a year and showing no signs i breaking

 

[Nige]

Torque multiplier is good, but a RAD wrench is even better ........ made in Oz too. http://www.radtorque.com.au/products_pneumatic.php?sub=11

 

[CM1995]

I thought where is shop talk, scrolled down and found a whole new world of forum sections I never new existed!!

Yep, Shop Talk is full of interesting subjects. I think this topic is better served in that Forum, so I am going to move it over there.

 

[tctractors]

Nige, those "Radar Guns" are realy outside the scope of the average spanner mans piggy bank, bala was looking for something to use in a small way, I myself have never had any trouble sorting rim nuts but I would think 1 of those "Ray" guns might not fit the ticket here, I also have the "Weapon" well 2 of em' that seem to undo dogged up rod end nuts without to much agro, I will post a snap of 1 being used asap, these "Weapons" undo CAT, Koma, and all the other rod nuts that I have tried without any fancy £-$ being spent.

 

[Bala]

When i started here 6 months ago they did not even have a complete basic hand tool set, the only compressor was a small direct drive unit, same as most people have at home, I have spent more in the last 6 months on tools for here than i think has been spent in the last 5 years, I was given a budget to spend on tools and while I have been careful with my purchases I have not looked at my expenditure compared to the budget, i will just keep buying essentials until I get told to stop, he he,

But Nige as much as I would like a unit as you posted, i am not even going to price one as i know i wont buy it, I bought a 1" electric impact gun that probably raised a few eyebrows but saftey soon sorts that out.

Nickbowers could you let me know what brand you have so I can follow up on it?, I could go $500 odd easy enough, then what the 1" impact gun wont get that will, and then I take out the pipe on the breaker bar altogether

 

[Nige]

You may need to go a bit more than $500. I'm pricing a decent 6:1 multiplier (1/2" Square input - 3/4" square output) at around US$900, and an 18:1 unit (1/2' input - 1" output) at US$1800. The 6:1 unit will give a maximum output torque of 1200ft.lbs, the 18:1 will give 3200ft.lbs.
IMO 1200ft.lbs. might not be enough for what you are wanting to do cracking difficult to turn fasteners like on sprockets and you'd probably be running the risk of breaking it. That would leave you back where you started using the tried & trusted 6ft scaffold pipe.

I'd suggest to make a justification for an air-controlled RAD wrench on the basis of safety, time, convenience, and anything else you can think of. You never know the management might just go for it. What have you got to lose..?

 

[d9gdon]

I bought a Cat torque multiplier off Ebay for $450 a couple of years ago. I think it's 6:1 and puts out 1600 ft lbs. I haven't found a bolt that I couldn't get loose yet. It has an input-output scale on it that's pretty handy for torquing down bolts.

 

[tuney443]

Best $75 I ever spent was on my Swench,model 750---800lbs. torque from a CL ad. 2'' head on bolts on my old 440JD track loader with a gazillion coats of paint over them and were never taken off popped loose the very first time when the Swench did it's magic. Originally made by Curtiss-Wright--our military bought them for tanks and such.Here's a link to them and there's always some on Ebay used.Powerhawk now sells and services them taken over from Cat I believe:www.powerhawk.com/products_swench.html

 

[Nige]

I bought a Cat torque multiplier off Ebay for $450 a couple of years ago. I think it's 6:1 and puts out 1600 ft lbs. I haven't found a bolt that I couldn't get loose yet. It has an input-output scale on it that's pretty handy for torquing down bolts.

That's the one that sells for about $900 new. You got a bargain there if it was in good condition.

 

[Bala]

A rad gun with that much power would be scary here, I had trouble with the guys using the electric impact gun not knowing which way they were trying to turn it, at least it does not have enough power to do them up and break them, and yes air rad is the ideal, not electricity etc but these guys are rough on gear and training is slow and painful so simple is best. They are bloody hard workers though.
As with a lot of things we buy you start off thinking X$ will do it then research tells you you need to spend a lot more!! I just need to determine a brand and model that will definitley do the job so I can price up and then I will work on the funds.

 

[tctractors]

Bala, I have some good junk for undoing fasteners going up to 2"square drive, the more common stuff I use is in the 1" to 1"1/2 sq drive sockets, these can be costly items just to put on the multiplier, the workshop budget would be getting a hiding on the nut undo task, I nearly always fit new fasteners on rim segments so burning the old bolts off is often the fastest way of sorting a crap job, the tightening up side might be better value to the tool store, as I use heavy torque wrenches more often than the multiplier, the common 1 I use is scaled upto 1'000 ft lbs, I know you can put a small torque wrench into a multiplier and calculate the setting, but its to much bother it cannot be the common thing to do, Nige loves his "Ray Gun" and gets good use out of it, but I am thinking he did not empty his pocket to buy the gizmo, ( Nige I cannot help myself.) if things are tight coin wise keep looking on f-bay and get an 1"1/2 drive output multiplier, then fit a stepdown adaptor to 1" drive output, then you will have a nut scaring chunk of Iron that will do the task.

 

[Nige]

In my defence I will point out that my "Ray Gun" as TC calls it has paid for itself many times over just in running up track shoe bolts we do without even considering the GET hardware. I'd say it's a unusual day if we are not using it somewhere.
Currently our 7 x D9/D10 tractors go through track shoes every 600-750 operating hours. That's approximately 1 tractor every week for re-shoeing. 364 bolts to torque to 2000ft.lb. every time. Do the maths.
GET on a 994 bucket there are 25 wear plates and a total of 120 bolts to do up to as near as 2000ft.lb. as makes no difference. 3 loaders each one with a change about once a month.
Cutting edges on D9/D10/834/16, etc. It soon adds up.

Plus etc, plus etc.

The thing I really love about the RAD wrench is how simple it is to use.

 

[Bala]

I only have 5 machines and the D85 is the last getting new undercarriage parts, we are not drilling at the moment and the machines are only working a 5 day week 8hrs ( so thats about 4 hrs work a day) doing a bit of general civil work, if we dont go back to 24/7 operation the undercarriages will last at least 12 months so minimal large bolt action, but still something that is needed.

i like the look of the swench style, no braces to set up etc if i am reading correctly, looks just like using a ratchet, i already have 1" drive impact sockets.

 

[shortarc]

The Swench is unbelievable as to what it will do, I've twisted bolts for thirty years and never heard of one until about a year ago. Needed to get some blades bolts loose on a side boom brush cutter and didn't have my big air wrench with me when the owner said he had something that would break them loose, I thought he was crazy when he brought that out. About four or five pulls on that thing and they came right loose. A four foot cheater on a 1" break over wouldn't budge them.

Also a little pricey though.

 

[Bala]

Also a little pricey though

looks that way! not saying they are not worth it.

 

[tctractors]

Nige, I know you are busy as hell and the "Ray Gun" is a front line must have, but cost wise things have to be justified, I dont think Bala's few rusty bolts is on the same scale as your workshop throughput, those Swench things look interesting, but I have no use for 1 myself as I never realy struggle with nuts and bolts, I struggle more on getting paid after the job is done.

keeping up the U.K. end. tctractors

 

[Bala]

if the silly bugger had used the nice new 1" breaker bar I got them, with the pipe extension, instead of the 3/4 drive bent slide bar then I would not even be thinking of this. I have now sleeved the extension pipe so it fits snug over the breaker bar and there is supposed to be two of them on the bar unless it slips.
but they dont listen, I just have to make things as foolproof as possible. After 6 months of lecture i now rarely need to remind someone grinding to wear saftey glasses!!

So i dont actually have a problem getting the bolts undone its just that we are working hard to improve the OHS here so in the end i need to get rid of the special tool " 6ft pipe" that goes on the on the breaker bar