EL FL FLH Head Bolt Wrench

[Robert Witham]

You can buy these as a set of about 8 wrenches of different sizes.
These can also be used with a short length of hex key to torque socket head bolts.

Omarttentmaker,
Thanks..having spent many hours wishing & drooling in SnapOn trucks when the stuff was made in the USA I seem to remember seeing these.
The pics will help locate them somewhere.

[aumick10]

Snap-On used to make a small enough box-end with a 3/8" square on the opposite end that would fit on a torque wrench for tightening head and base bolts. here's a pic of the 2 of them. I had to belt-sand some stock off the end of the 5/8" one to tighten the base bots on a '38 13 fin cylinder. Other than that, and the fact that on some of the head bolts you have to 'flip' the torque wrench and turn counter-clockwise, these have worked well for me.





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You can buy these as a set of about 8 wrenches of different sizes.
These can also be used with a short length of hex key to torque socket head bolts.

[Omarttentmaker]

Snap-On used to make a small enough box-end with a 3/8" square on the opposite end that would fit on a torque wrench for tightening head and base bolts. here's a pic of the 2 of them. I had to belt-sand some stock off the end of the 5/8" one to tighten the base bots on a '38 13 fin cylinder. Other than that, and the fact that on some of the head bolts you have to 'flip' the torque wrench and turn counter-clockwise, these have worked well for me.

[Robert Witham]

All of the tools pictured and discussed in this thread you posted on, sir.

Hey, sorry fo being lame I finally found these beauties...they are available at Home Depot haha..well if you get a torch also!

[govmule84]

Hey =govmule84;1833626,


Sorry still getting used to the site ...which tools are you refering to??
Bobby

All of the tools pictured and discussed in this thread you posted on, sir.

[Robert Witham]

Nearly all of the tools you've seen here are, in my estimation, the best you could ask for. I did heads on my bike (same year and model as yours) in the frame and think I just used a torque adapter and my torque wrench, and a curvy double-ender at 90°.

If all else fails, torch a dollar-store wrench and make it fit! (I just did that on the base nut on a ULH; it was snug in there!)

Hey =govmule84;1833626,


Sorry still getting used to the site ...which tools are you refering to??
Bobby

[govmule84]

Hey guys..u all have a wealth of experience beyond mine ...where can I buy a good 47 FL head bolt wrench and would want the final tightening with a toque wrench if possible.
Bobby

Nearly all of the tools you've seen here are, in my estimation, the best you could ask for. I did heads on my bike (same year and model as yours) in the frame and think I just used a torque adapter and my torque wrench, and a curvy double-ender at 90°.

If all else fails, torch a dollar-store wrench and make it fit! (I just did that on the base nut on a ULH; it was snug in there!)

[Robert Witham]

Hey guys..u all have a wealth of experience beyond mine ...where can I buy a good 47 FL head bolt wrench and would want the final tightening with a toque wrench if possible.
Bobby

[T. Cotten]

Folks,

If you have to re-torque machines often, such as an active shop, you need to do it fast, too.

The front cylinder base nut behind the timer on OHVs is 'difficult' for any commercial extention, without expensive disassembly and reassembly time.

You will want to make wrenches that are not so "collectible".

....Cotten

[41craig]

Robbie; My problem was that years ago, St. Louis area Harley dealers would not sell head bolt wrenches or (any tools for that matter) to the public. With slow sales, their shop was where the majority of there income came from. So I had to go elsewhere to get the job done. I only started acquiring factory tools when I first encountered Hemming's Motor News in the early '80's and progressed to swap meets and later, Ebay. Joe Barber was also a great help.
Cotten; My boring bar, torque plates, and rigid & flex hones all have a thick layer of dust on them. I'm not sure if I'm too lazy, grumpy or what, but I found out that I have a lot less stress these days sending my bore & hone jobs out to a very qualified shop. Also, I'm aware of our friends that tighten too much and bend the flanges of the manifolds. I will still use torque wrenches on pumps, flywheel shafts & crank pins and cam covers. That's my story and I'm sticking with it! Seriously guys, Thanks for all the replies!!
Craig

[Rubone]

The factory head bolt wrenches fit everywhere even with all components in place, and the late type 3/8 drive easily accepts a torque wrench if that is your preference.

[T. Cotten]

Forgive me if I second-guess you, Craig,...

But I really suspect the reason you don't swear by torque wrenches is because you never stress-plated and bore'n'honed cylinders for a living.

That's the most dramatic fastener-stress example I can think of, but I daily encounter manifolds that have suffered at a fraction of the torque.
It's similar to the pumps. Except, instead of leaking oil, they suck air.. and the motor *suffers*.

Metal moves.

....Cotten
PS: I swear by torsion wrenches, but swear at 'clickers'.
It upsets me the Sunnen makes that noise.

[41craig]

I'm sure that the reason that I never got into torque wrench use on these these old bikes is, that the manual for the bikes that my friends and I had did not have any torque numbers for anything. I do use the inch pound torque wrench for the oil pumps. I've had too many guys come in with lunched shovelhead motors (with the the aluminum oil pumps) that they tightened the nuts too much. Once the motor heated up and the metal expanded, the pump gears lock up and the weak point (the drive shaft key) shears and no oil pressure. Most of these guys had choppers with no oil pressure light.
Craig

[T. Cotten]

Its all about technique, Folks!

Grunting by hand on the same short wrench in different positions, or beating on it, is folly.
Its about control, maybe not Standards&Measurements accurate, but at least reasonably even torque among the fasteners, as that's the crux of the biscuit.

Aside from all of the other endless observation and prep necessary, somehow there are always more worms in the can than there were a quarter of a century ago, and any shortcut will come back to bite you.

A better wrench is always welcome.

...Cotten

[govmule84]

I guess I'm old fashioned. I have never torqued a head bolt in my 64 years. And I've never had a head gasket blow. As long as this wrench is; I tighten the head bolt 'til it does not want to go any further without a lot of extra effort. And, of course, you always retighten after the motor has run a bit. I've used this on Knuckles, Pans and Shovels. No blown head gaskets.
Craig

Well, there's a lot of ways to skin a cat, I guess. But I'm a fan of using a torque, especially when a value is supplied in the manual. Seen stripped threads in iron and pulled inserts on the later stuff.

A neat tool, though!