Just realized I wasted a full day on a bad torque wrench calibration

I was doing a 100-hour inspection on a Cessna 172 last week and spent eight hours chasing a phantom vibration. Turns out my old click-type torque wrench from Harbor Freight was reading 15 foot-pounds low, so every cylinder base nut I torqued was under-spec. Had to redo the entire job. Anyone have a go-to shop in the Dallas area for reliable tool calibration, or should I just bite the bullet on a new wrench?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseyl182mo ago

Oof, Harbor Freight strikes again lol. I'd just get a new one, not worth the risk.

emmag405d ago

You can say that about any brand these days though. For the money you save at Harbor Freight, you can buy two or three of the same tool and still come out ahead of buying a name brand.

webb.linda2mo ago

Yeah Harbor Freight can be hit or miss. I had a similar tool start acting up and just took it apart to clean the contacts. It's been fine for over a year now. Sometimes a simple fix is all it needs.