Packard Forum Index » General

All I can say is....Oh MAN!

Now I know just how much I have been missing out. Finally got a sizable (though actually, I'm thinking not big enough) compressor and am mapping out the piping & filters for using newly-acquired pneumatic tools for my makeshift 'shop' in my carport/garage to work on the 2255.

Temptation was too great. Had to connect up the I-R 231C impact wrench I just bought to test it out. And now I know...

There is a God. He invented the air impact wrench. And my efforts just got a whole heck of a lot easier.

Head bolts? Piece 'o cake.

Crankshaft bolt? No problem.

Feels like cheating.

The battery powered ones are more popular. However, with the exception of the damper bolt best practice is to break loose with a breaker bar before using an impact.

Great tip for the uneducated. Thanks!

The electric impact wrenches are pretty good too, although probably somewhat less torque than the pneumatic ones. FWIW, my electric will remove the damper to crank bolt on a V-8 no problem without using a breaker bar first.

Craig

Yep, they're great. No doubt about it. But be very careful what they are used on. Ancient iron of unknown history can have head bolts or other CRITICAL/special bolts that mite look ok but could be rusted and siezed at der threads.

The impact can snap such bolts. Also be careful of forgetting to change direction of the impact thus snapping bolts.

The impact wrench is just fuine for the hired mechanic working on commision which means rather NEW or not real old cars and parts.

If u like the big 1/2 inch impct then try a 3/8 drive butterfly for smaller bolts.

I can only run about 125 psi on all 6 of my compressors and that is plenty.

Just don't get over confident with the impact wrench and ruin something that mite need some finess.

BTW, i knew very well Duntovs chief mechanic that put in 30 years at Chev hi-perf R&D at the Gm Tec-ccenter in warren. Knew him alll of my life. He NEVER owned nor used an impact wrench. From junk farm plowsto CERV I and CERV II among many others. Never used an impact. Didn't like them for reasons stated above.

I sure use the impact tho.

Sorry, I can't quite share your enthusiasm for an impact wrench, it can do more damage than it's worth. The only things I would consider it's use for would be a stubborn bolt on the vibration damper, perhaps stubborn rear brake drum retaining nuts, and with the torque set appropriately, wheel lugs though I'd rather use one to loosen, not tighten. I have borrowed one the 2 or 3 times in my lifetime that I needed one.

Just try picking up and laying down one of the big 1/2 impact wrencchess anywhere from 50 to 150 times a day for about 10 hours. Let us know how your wrist feels at the end of the day.

The little 3/8 butterfly is nice tho but need the small hose and a LONG one.

Socckets and nuts and bolts can go flyingacross the shop or even hit a windshield or some glass. Be careful with it.

Thanks guys. I hear your cautionary tales. I get why you might or might not want to use one in questionable situations.

I took a few looks at the nut on the head stud I was attempting to remove and thought "nah, that threaded stud looks a bit too rusty to just tear into". I have learned my lesson the hard way by twisting bolts apart with nuts that are rust-encrusted to them. Obviously I wanted to make sure that didn't happen here. So before I proceeded, I wire-brushed the end of the bolt as clean of rust as I could and soaked it in PBlaster for multiple days before I put the impact to it. I'm sure that did make a difference. I can see how you could do some damage. But it feels like a nice tool to have in certain stubborn situations!

I said it to someone else recently too: most of the fasteners on this Packard have come off surprisingly easy and I mean, NOT using the impact. A nice testament to how un-weathered and well-engineered a lot of these quality components are.

Just wanting to add the advice: Use proper impact sockets instead of your normal sockets. Even high quality sockets will perish rather fast when used with an impact wrench.

I use my impact wrench quite often when undoing bolts that are frustratingly stubborn or while changing wheels in spring and fall, but am very reluctant to tighten bolts with it.

Regards,
Clemens

Hi

Only thing I can add is use the proper impact sockets and learn how and when to use the air impact wrench properly. Most important is to use it with finesse and not for excessive force. Remember its easy to 'bust' things that are much more troublesome and expensive to fix afterwards.

My professional mechanic friend taught me to vibrate the toughest frozen rusted bolts by pulsing just a bit to loosen, pulse a bit to tighten direction, pulse again to loosen, liberal applications of loosening oil. Work patiently, repeat as much as necessary to let the threads get freed and oiled with the vibration.

Works like a charm, here in the northeast where we get severely rusted bolts in as little as a decade, keeps work from turning even more frustrating and time-consuming. Should be even better in your dry climate.

Remember: finesse it!

Steve