RTA Filter tool?

[marcusm86]

I'm curious what you've learned. The most common mistakes I see people do in early usage is storing it with set torque, using it like a ratchet to thread it down instead of the last few slow turns, breaking loose with it, and using crowfoots and universal sockets wrong.

If you tend to get creative, all torque values are based on an assumption of clean dry threads or lubricated. It makes a big difference, and where it's hard to guarantee that like on drain plugs, that 20-30% difference is factored into the value to ensure you don't strip it.

Technically you should recalibrate it every few years.... But I don't know anybody that does for home use.

making sure your target torque is in the middle 30% to 90% of the wrench's total range normally is missed

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[Cueyo]

I'm curious what you've learned. The most common mistakes I see people do in early usage is storing it with set torque, using it like a ratchet to thread it down instead of the last few slow turns, breaking loose with it, and using crowfoots and universal sockets wrong.

If you tend to get creative, all torque values are based on an assumption of clean dry threads or lubricated. It makes a big difference, and where it's hard to guarantee that like on drain plugs, that 20-30% difference is factored into the value to ensure you don't strip it.

Technically you should recalibrate it every few years.... But I don't know anybody that does for home use.

I was mostly lectured on moment arms and proper force distribution. Only thing I remember now is that you need to have your hand on the handle (the black part, don't use two hands), and to slow apply consistent force until it clicks. Doing the ratchet method doesn't give you proper torque, and from what I've seen, a lot of people do that.

 

[Spart]

I can calibrate them at my work. We have a cal lab. I have one my uncle passed along, it's still accurate. We have tiny ones that are very expensive too that we use for smaller more accurate stuff.

If you don't have access to this sort of thing, a digital inline torque meter is usually a "good enough" proxy.

Like if you want to make sure you're within 5% it will generally get you there.

If you have several torque wrenches and one of them starts disagreeing with the inline torque meter, recalibrate that one torque wrench.

If you have several torque wrenches and all of them start disagreeing with the inline torque meter, get a new inline torque meter.

I had to throw out a 1/2" torque wrench last year because it would only agree with the inline torque meter at the point it was calibrated. Above that, it was light and below, heavy.

The new DeWalt I replaced it with was really bang-on out of the box.

 

[Websitesdown]

If you don't have access to this sort of thing, a digital inline torque meter is usually a "good enough" proxy.

Like if you want to make sure you're within 5% it will generally get you there.

If you have several torque wrenches and one of them starts disagreeing with the inline torque meter, recalibrate that one torque wrench.

If you have several torque wrenches and all of them start disagreeing with the inline torque meter, get a new inline torque meter.

I had to throw out a 1/2" torque wrench last year because it would only agree with the inline torque meter at the point it was calibrated. Above that, it was light and below, heavy.

The new DeWalt I replaced it with was really bang-on out of the box.

A good one will be very close out the box. Our cal lab is an industry cal lab. Ours are spot on within tight tolerances.

 

[Spart]

Not bad advice.

Torque spec on a rubber surface isn't accurate. Gasket crush is very temperature dependent. Lubrication also matters. Twisting 3/4's of a turn is better advice.

3/4 of a turn from what?

This is the issue with relying on that. The instructions generally state "x turn from gasket contact"

Okay, is the gasket fully seated in the filter groove? With a lot of filters that have flat gaskets, that might not be the case.

Is the gasket even an OEM one? The OEM o-ring gaskets on Hondas (and my Toyota) lend themselves to this because they're very consistent. If you get a Wix or a Mobil 1 or whatever, the 3/4 turn may be bad advice.

And then there's the matter of the judgement call of when the gasket makes contact.

Is there oil on the o-ring like the instructions tend to suggest? That makes determining when contact is made trickier.

Ask five different guys and you'll get five different answers. Some of them will be well into the 3/4 turn part of the equation when they start.

Tightening to torque removes many of these variables. It introduces new ones as you mentioned with temperature, but not an issue for me since I don't do oil changes in an unheated garage.

 

[Nothing]

If only he realized the variances, conditions, and consequences accounted for in producing a torque spec... On a filter that is used by nearly the entire manufacturer product line for decades.

3/8 turn is likely ok, 1 full turn is also going to be ok. Most will require some sort of significant grip to get off due to heat cycling and grease. You can use a socket tool, pliers tool, strap tool, or a screwdriver tool as you please.

 

[Mrjustin81]

This reminds me of the 2026 speculation thread! Lmao it just keeps going and going

 

[Cueyo]

I just don't understand how it's so hard to accept that Honda wrote directions for when people can't or don't want to use a torque wrench. ‍‍‍

 

[Spart]

I just don't understand how it's so hard to accept that Honda wrote directions for when people can't or don't want to use a torque wrench. ‍‍‍

Yo homie, what's the converse to that statement?

"I just don't understand how it's so hard to accept that Honda wrote a torque spec for when people can't or don't want to count turns while hand tightening."

And if you uh, you know. Read. Read the OP.

I would like to use it to torque the filter.

Well holy f---ing shit, why can't any of you accept that half-assed hand tight measurements weren't on the table for the question being asked in this thread in the first place?

One of the hallmarks of individuals with reduced cognitive ability (politically correct phrasing) is the inability to think in hypotheticals, compounded by the inability to imagine themselves in literally any other circumstance other than the exact one they find themselves in.

Example: imagine you want to use a tool to torque your filter to spec. What tool would you use?

Low cognitive ability individual: but I don't want to use a tool to torque my filter to spec.

It's actually amazing that Honda dealerships can find so many of y'all. Just fascinating. This community is actually dumber than the knuckle draggers who purchase Mustangs with four cylinder engines. I thought I would have to buy a Nissan Altima in order to find a community like that.

 

[Nothing]

The torque spec is printed on the OEM filter for a reason and if you care about your car, follow it.

If you don't care about your car, do whatever the hell you want. But I question the value of having a tool with a 3/8" socket if you aren't going to bother.

 

[Cueyo]

Yo homie, what's the converse to that statement?

"I just don't understand how it's so hard to accept that Honda wrote a torque spec for when people can't or don't want to count turns while hand tightening."

And if you uh, you know. Read. Read the OP.


Well holy f---ing shit, why can't any of you accept that half-assed hand tight measurements weren't on the table for the question being asked in this thread in the first place?

One of the hallmarks of individuals with reduced cognitive ability (politically correct phrasing) is the inability to think in hypotheticals, compounded by the inability to imagine themselves in literally any other circumstance other than the exact one they find themselves in.

Example: imagine you want to use a tool to torque your filter to spec. What tool would you use?

Low cognitive ability individual: but I don't want to use a tool to torque my filter to spec.

It's actually amazing that Honda dealerships can find so many of y'all. Just fascinating. This community is actually dumber than the knuckle draggers who purchase Mustangs with four cylinder engines. I thought I would have to buy a Nissan Altima in order to find a community like that.

 

[ctechauto]

Ok now I fully believe spart is touguefl5's alt.

 

[Nothing]

At least OP got their answer on pg3

 

[Websitesdown]

At least OP got their answer on pg3

It's my Monday, f#*# you guys