Using a torquewrench/BBB Torquefix
 

I just received my torque wrench in the mail. I am familiar with beam style torque wrenches however I've never used this type with a 'rattle mechanism' before. There are very vague instructions that dont have illustrations or explanations so i have a few questions. newbie here so forgive my ignorance. I guess my biggest question is what exactly IS the 'rattle mechanism' followed by these questions in response to BBB's manual:

it states:
1 - "select the correct position of the shifter on the tool head." I have no idea what a shifter is in regards to torque wrenches.


2 - "Fasten the bolts by using the rattle mechanism" what does this mean? there is no illustration.

3 - lock position of the rattle mechanism. again, i don't know what this is.

4 - "unscrew the bolts by using the rattle mechanism." what bolts? i thought i was tightening bolts not unscrewing them...

5 - "When the head clicks through, the set torque is reached. be careful: push gently aginst the back handle with two fingers" I realize there should be an audible click when i reach the torque spec. but i don't understand where it's telling me to "push gently" against after i reach it.

why are these instructions so difficult for me to grasp? I've been wrenching for a while and have just started getting into carbon parts and feel like i should be able to deduce the correct procedures but i think english was not the first language of these writers...

a pic of your wrench would help but it sounds like you have what is refered to 'snap' torque wrench like this. is the head where you put the socket like a regular ratchet?

you simply use the top like anyother ratchet. you are acorrect you should never loosen a bolt/nut with a torque wrench

you dial in the torque with the guage in the handle and then simply tighten until the wrench snaps or clicks.

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...m/image_72.jpg

Yeah, it is like a simple ratchet. however i've been setting the torque to 5nm on the first part that i'm tightening and I feel like I'm tightening it too much and the wrench isn't clicking. maybe i'm unfamiliar with what 5nm feels like?

thought maybe i was setting it up wrong. i twist the handle to reach the desired torque and then just start tightening? i thought maybe it had something to do with 'locking the rattle mechanism' which i'm not sure i understand.

I think the "two fingers" part of the instructions refer to how you should apply turning pressure to the handle, so that you can more easily detect the "click". What's the torque range of your wrench? A number of click-style torque wrenches that I've used have only a very faint click when set at the low end of their range.

torque range is 2-24. will you feel the click or only hear it?

I'd bet $ to doughnuts that the "click" is happening in the first littl ebit of movement, and you're missing it.

some torque wrenches of this type will not torque past the torque value the user sets it to and will continue to click/slip as the user continues to turn the wrench.

Others will click only once at the value the wrench is set to but then will continue to tighten as if it was not a torque wrench.

It is important to get a feel for how your torque wrench functions prior to using it on critical parts that may be destroyed at relatively low torque values.

Try playing with it on the lug nuts of your car or make something else that is beefier than you will find on a bike.

-j

From your description "rattle" is the rachet mech in the head.

And yeah, sticking the square drive in a vise or on a car lug nut and playing with it first is a darn good idea. The click on my own torque wrench can be quite soft to hear and feel at lower torque ranges and hellishly sharp at the higher end. 5Nm is only 3.7 ft-lbs and very near the low end of your operating range. So it's likely going to be quite a soft click. All the more reason to play with it clamped or onto something that won't move so you can learn to feel the click of the wrench.