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Battery Terminal Torque (EG4)

forbin

Slow learner
Joined
Jul 4, 2022
Messages
188
My EG4 manual says the battery terminal torque should be 60 in-lbs (5 ft-lbs) but my wrench only goes down to 15 ft-lbs. Does 5 ft-lbs mean at least that? Does it cause damage to go over, as long as you don't strip the threads?
 
5 ft-lbs means ==5 ft-lbs. Get a smaller torque wrench (I use my small one more than the big one anyways) or use your best judgement to tighten it by feel.
 
My EG4 manual says the battery terminal torque should be 60 in-lbs (5 ft-lbs) but my wrench only goes down to 15 ft-lbs. Does 5 ft-lbs mean at least that? Does it cause damage to go over, as long as you don't strip the threads?

How many torque specs have you seen where it means a minimum? I personally haven't ever seen one. It's either a single value or a range.

Single value means, "set torque wrench to this value, and stop once torque reached."

Torque is indicated for specific reasons - fastener pre-load as dictated by fastener tensile strength, and clamping force. Too much torque, and you may yield/fracture the fastener. To little, and you don't get the needed clamping force.

Get a torque wrench. A 1/4" drive from harbor freight is about $20.

Old school for $19 on Amazon:

 
Get a torque wrench. A 1/4" drive from harbor freight is about $20.
OP, take it from a real expert, we pay no more than $12 + tax with a coupon for that torque wrench, never full price. I am certified Harbor Freight shopper. 😎

For real though, if the torque spec is 5lbft of torque you might shear the thing at 15lbft.
 

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OP, take it from a real expert, we pay no more than $12 + tax with a coupon for that torque wrench, never full price. I am certified Harbor Freight shopper. 😎
Tariffs must be the culprit. 😉

For something like a battery terminal I would follow the specs. Don't use the torque it 'till it breaks and back off a 1/4 turn method on precision items.

I like this one for the small stuff.
1000013785.jpg


Edit - I failed, that's not even a coupon.
 
How many torque specs have you seen where it means a minimum? I personally haven't ever seen one. It's either a single value or a range.

Single value means, "set torque wrench to this value, and stop once torque reached."

Torque is indicated for specific reasons - fastener pre-load as dictated by fastener tensile strength, and clamping force. Too much torque, and you may yield/fracture the fastener. To little, and you don't get the needed clamping force.

Get a torque wrench. A 1/4" drive from harbor freight is about $20.

Old school for $19 on Amazon:



The nearest place to buy a torque wrench is an hour away and closed. It's dark and power is out, so I'm asking questions that are a little desperate. I can run the genny all night, so it's not an emergency, but I was excited about getting the new battery running. :) To answer your question, I've never used a torque wrench. For some things, I can understand why torque specs are what they are. Too loose and the connection may be unsafe. Too tight and you may strip it, weaken it, or have trouble getting it off. I've never owned a snazzy sports car, so I've never had to tighten lugs exactly. Always did it by feel. With battery terminals, I don't understand what the big deal is with exact torque. You usually just tighten it until it stops under moderate pressure, then give it another 1/4 turn. Done.
 
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The nearest place to buy a torque wrench is an hour away and closed. It's dark and power is out, so I'm asking questions that are a little desperate. I can run the genny all night, so it's not an emergency, but I was excited about getting the new battery running. :) To answer your question, I've never used a torque wrench. For some things, I can understand why torque specs are what they are. Too loose and the connection may be unsafe. Too tight and you may strip it, weaken it, or have trouble getting it off. I've never owned a snazzy sports car, so I've never had to tighten lugs exactly.

Could you MacGyver a wrench and a fish scale?

Always did it by feel.

Always doing it one way doesn't mean you're doing it right.

With battery terminals, I don't understand what the big deal is with exact torque.

Because you don't understand this:

Torque is indicated for specific reasons - fastener pre-load as dictated by fastener tensile strength, and clamping force. Too much torque, and you may yield/fracture the fastener. To little, and you don't get the needed clamping force.

You usually just tighten it until it stops under moderate pressure, then give it another 1/4 to 1/2 turn. Done.

^ A perfect recipe for never getting torque right and potentially stripped threads.

If you have no other choice, "wrist tight".

Grip ratchet/wrench as shown with thumb and index finger aligned with fastener/pivot point.

Tighten no more than you can achieve with only this hand in this position.

1742261770904.png

Check connections for heat.

Order/procure a torque wrench ASAP.
 
If you've been wrenching on things for a while and have a feel for it I'd say go for it to get you through until you get a wrench.
Keep an eye / feel on the connection for heat build up.
I'd use a short 1/4" drive ratchet and crank it down.
 
Could you MacGyver a wrench and a fish scale?



Always doing it one way doesn't mean you're doing it right.



Because you don't understand this:





^ A perfect recipe for never getting torque right and potentially stripped threads.

If you have no other choice, "wrist tight".

Grip ratchet/wrench as shown with thumb and index finger aligned with fastener/pivot point.

Tighten no more than you can achieve with only this hand in this position.

View attachment 285781

Check connections for heat.

Order/procure a torque wrench ASAP.

I'll just wait until morning an go get the right tool. I said I didn't understand. I didn't say I was foolish enough to charge ahead anyway. :)
 
I'll just wait until morning an go get the right tool. I said I didn't understand. I didn't say I was foolish enough to charge ahead anyway. :)

Hey, you presented a different story in an emergency situation. I flubbed and blew my Class-T fuse this past week, and rather than go without power, I bypassed it and went fuseless for about 24 hours.

There's best practices, and there's what you do at different levels of desperation. Assuming you are roughly of average strength, the technique I described should provide sufficient clamping force with little to no risk of over-torquing.

Now, if you're this guy:

1742263927150.png

All bets are off...
 
Hey, you presented a different story in an emergency situation. I flubbed and blew my Class-T fuse this past week, and rather than go without power, I bypassed it and went fuseless for about 24 hours.

There's best practices, and there's what you do at different levels of desperation. Assuming you are roughly of average strength, the technique I described should provide sufficient clamping force with little to no risk of over-torquing.

Now, if you're this guy:

View attachment 285789

All bets are off...

I said I can run the genny all night so it's not an emergency. I spent the whole day re-wiring my shed and I wanted to cap it off by turning on the new rig. You know how that is. But now I'm exhausted, my tools are literally everywhere (and I mean everywhere, check your yard), and I have reached the point of diminishing returns. Plus, I don't want to risk voiding the warranty if an SS guy sees this thread and I tried to torque it by feel. :) Thanks for the feedback.
 
Fair enough. I was where you were 3 days last week... each day of work left me exhausted, a little delirious and with the same post-event tool "organization" method... :)

I was so tired on the 3rd day, tool re-org was just to throw them in a pile near where they needed to go.
 

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