08-10-2022, 10:21 PM
This was one of the arcane subjects discussed by Welsh Trial watchers at Badland Farm today. A large proportion of the entry was Sevens, no doubt photos will appear tomorrow. What became a recurring thought was that no pre-war spec would mention torque settings, because the torque wrench was almost unknown in the garage trade in Britain. It origins are less than clear, different claims are made, and our distinguished Scottish contributors will no doubt point out that the word "torque" is first attributed to James Thompson, brother of Lord Kelvin. Most sources accept that starting with Chrysler, motor manufacturers began seriously using the torque spanner from 1940 and it became widely adopted in war time production. Thus, the spec sheet for an Eight would not have needed the required torque to be recorded, as there was no equipment to use it. The sheet attached indicates a wide range of elements to be measured by feeler gauges, or to be ordered from the stores or suppliers. Fastener tightening depended on the traditional method, that is the hex head for each thread used a spanner of differing length, and that the force delivered by the correct spanner produced the correct torque. And come to think of it, the forum has in the past seen debates on exactly this subject. So many thanks to all for the contributions.