Cheater bar v Milwaukee M18 impact driver

[captainwireman]

Originally Posted by Lepke

I have been doing mechanical work for 50+ years. (Mostly my own) My dad was a steam chief engineer. I picked up a lot from him. I was shown and proved to myself that frozen, rusted bolts will almost always come out with an impact wrench, but shear off most of the time with a cheater bar. A penetrating oil that dissolves the rust helps.
If you assemble with an anti-seize compound, later even badly rusted bolts/nuts will come loose easily.
I have air shifting, so compressed air is always available, but Harbor Freight and others have cheap, 120v impact tools.

Geez, I just learned the Milwaukee I have will deliver 1500 inch pounds. Battery operated. Hmm, thinking it may be well worth taking.

[RainDog]

I second the idea of manual impact. Much smaller, much cheaper, more reliable, and more durable.

The "smaller" wins the day for me.

[Cadence]

I maybe contradicting someone? I would think an impact wrench is far superior to a breaker bar. A head bolt snapping continuous pressure is an ugly sound.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by captainwireman

Thanks
The work I intend doing is going through all systems on a yanmar 2gm20F. I will stop before I take the head off. It is going to be a bit of wrench turning.
Some are from the " if it ain't broke" school. I am from the "probably going to break at the perfect moment" so I am big into inspection and reassembly when I am docked. I want to know what every bolt size is and every tool I will need to to do this work. Anti seize all threads, find and repair/replace any stubborn or corroded fasteners. A great feeling when you have only the stuff one needs stored neatly and know what to do.

You shouldn't have any trouble with engine internal bolts like head bolts, rockers etc. External or heat exchanger etc are another thing though.

[trifan]

Originally Posted by captainwireman

I have all kinds of cheater bar stories which lead to broken bolt removal techniques stories.
What experience/preferences/warnings do you have using the impact driver for particularly diesel engine work?

As I read this, I assume that you are trying to prevent breaking bolts by using too much force while installing. To that end, I would use a torque wrench, not a cheater bar or an impact wrench and take them to the mfg recommended tightness, not "farmer tight" like the guys at the tire store with their impact tools adjusted to max. Ever have to loosen a lug nut after those goons have tightened it? Sheesh...

To remove stuck bolts, +1 on the heat, penetrating oil and hammer treatment. Once had to remove a broken headbolt with a hammer and punch. It took a while but it finally backed out.

[TheThunderbird]

Impact driver is great to disassemble winches (SS bolts onto aluminium...)

The reason is putting together hammering and torque at once, gently so.. the cheat bar has no impact, unless a friendly hand may help you.

I hate people who make assembly "farmer tight" with no seizing protection! IT IS A WAY TO DISRESPECT PEOPLE AFTER YOU.

Fastening torque should always remain within the ELASTIC RESPONSE OF THE MATERIAL...easy to feel

Impact driver was 64EUR by USAG...and 8EUR from China. Considering the occasional use, I got the 8EUR one

Note:

Onto engines, high tensile steel is used, NOT SS.

Therefore rust easily occurs on threads. Change them all once unfastened, and properly grease or lubricate them accordingly

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

Impact driver is great to disassemble winches (SS bolts onto aluminium...)

The reason is putting together hammering and torque at once, gently so.. the cheat bar has no impact, unless a friendly hand may help you.

I hate people who make assembly "farmer tight" with no seizing protection! IT IS A WAY TO DISRESPECT PEOPLE AFTER YOU.

Fastening torque should always remain within the ELASTIC RESPONSE OF THE MATERIAL...easy to feel

Impact driver was 64EUR by USAG...and 8EUR from China. Considering the occasional use, I got the 8EUR one

Note:

Onto engines, high tensile steel is used, NOT SS.

Therefore rust easily occurs on threads. Change them all once unfastened, and properly grease or lubricate them accordingly

Never Seeze (sp?) is a must. Any one using SS in a carbon steel situation is nuts or uninformed. I'm an advocate of the five lines on the bolt head, grade 8s even if not needed. I see not down side other than a couple of cents from the ungraded price.

[CHM]

Prevent this from happening again: anti-seize and a good torque wrench! There's no excuse for seized fasteners in engines.


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