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Torque settings from BMW for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:07 am
by SteveD
Click on the pix, then again, then select full screen, then click again for larger views.
I'm guessing a few of y'all already have this info, but it might be useful to a few others. Hope so.
The torque charts are scanned from the BMW factory repair manual. Bikes listed on the spine of the manual include:
60/7, 75/7, 80/7, 100/7, 100T, 100S, 100RS, 100RT.

Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:07 am
by chasbmw
Thanks for that Steve,
Anyone suggest a reasonable make of torque wrench, in the 10-75 ft lbs range, I'm in the uk, looking to pay in the region of £50 say 100$ US, I have a very cheapo one that is most probably not too accurate. I'm not at all anal about torque, most of the fasteners on my bikes are done by feel, just looking a slightly better tool
Cheers. Charles
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:32 am
by Kurt in S.A.
Have you calibrated your torque wrench? I have an old Sears beam wrench and figured one of the only torques I want to get right is the head torque. So, I rigged my wrench in my bench vise and hung a pail off the end using water at 8.3x pounds per gallon so I had the proper weight for the arm distance. The reading was pretty darn close, so I just continue to use it.
Kurt in S.A.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:44 am
by Motorhead
even a cheapo torque wrench will do good work
when I wroked in aircraft the inspection department used a beam type an square drive socket
adjust the clicker to a setting and at 90 drgree test the clicker by noticeing the brake to bar torque
if the break comes at the same setting
clicker 10 foot lb
bar at 10 at break
accurate !
some torque work is better with a beem type torque wrench need both
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:01 pm
by Deleted User 62
I have checked all my torque wrenches against each other using an allen socket on one and the matching regular socket on the other. They are accurate when checked against each other. I agree with Motorhead, you really need a beam and a clicker. Beam for head torques where you can see them and clicker for the forks when you are pulling on a counter lever to avoid twisting them.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 4:51 pm
by Major Softie
Kurt in S.A. wrote:Have you calibrated your torque wrench? I have an old Sears beam wrench and figured one of the only torques I want to get right is the head torque. So, I rigged my wrench in my bench vise and hung a pail off the end using water at 8.3x pounds per gallon so I had the proper weight for the arm distance. The reading was pretty darn close, so I just continue to use it.
Kurt in S.A.
If you only want to use the wrench at the torque at which you tested it, then there's nothing wrong with that. When a wrench is professionally calibrated, they give you some data that gives you an idea of how accurate it is throughout the range - nice info to have.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:05 pm
by Kurt in S.A.
Major Softie wrote:If you only want to use the wrench at the torque at which you tested it, then there's nothing wrong with that. When a wrench is professionally calibrated, they give you some data that gives you an idea of how accurate it is throughout the range - nice info to have.
Exactly...as I said, I was only really interested in the head torque. Most other fasteners, it's just by feel. When I've done swingarm pins, clutch pack bolts, etc., I've usually borrowed calibrated torque wrenches from work.
Kurt in S.A.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:58 pm
by Jean
TWO thoughts-observations.
The torque charts are nice if you are not putting machine screws into ALUMINUM. In that case, you should use whatever the machine's manual recommends as it will be a lot less than that in the chart!!
I have both a beam wrench and a "click" wrench and use them both.
On the cost: I've noticed that tools are generally a lot higher priced in Europe than in the US. Of course, some US tools can cost a lot, as in Snap-On or Proto, but we can get pretty good tools from Sears, or better ones from a flea-market. Living in the region where there was a lot of textile manufacturing a while back means there are lots of metric tools for sale in bins at the flea market. Most of the local yokels won't buy them if they are the thin pattern which we need for our bikes, they consider them cheap-junk.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 10:21 pm
by SteveD
Jean wrote:The torque charts are nice if you are not putting machine screws into ALUMINUM. In that case, you should use whatever the machine's manual recommends as it will be a lot less than that in the chart!!
For clarity, the torque charts above were from the BMW factory repair manual. Bikes listed on the spine of the manual include:
60/7, 75/7, 80/7, 100/7, 100T, 100S, 100RS, 100RT.
Re: Torque settings for airheads.
Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:58 am
by Jean
whoops. Didn't notice the upper right-hand corner ID!!
I thought it was from a DIN handbook!!