Brian-

I did use the torque wrench, but didn't replace the gasket - I put it on the night before taking to the dealer for my 1,000 mile maintenance service and they changed the gasket as part of the service.

CJ

 

I was an aircraft mechanic for years, so I have torques drilled into my head. That being said, I will actually tighten some things without my torque wrench[] If you want the peace of mind, get it. I think its more important to use cross tightening of hardware to make sure everything is even.

 

i use one all of the time. I have 2 craftsman, one in inch lbs and one in ft lbs

 

Nothings too good for the Harley. Get it. You won't be sorry. Sure, you won't use it every day, but it's there when you need it. I got mine at Harbor Freight. Very inexpensive. And, you do get what you pay for in the "tool" catagory.
BA

 

Me too, but not necessarily in that order!

 

Hopefully you can find a smaller one than I did, because I can't maneuver mine into position to use it for half the applications the service manual calls for! []

 

You need a torque wrench..and don't buy a cheap one. A cheap one will fail and you will over torque something. Get a good one that clicks and not the type that has a small meter. You can get a good Craftsman torque wrench for $60 - $70 that will do both inch and foot pounds. Not following the torque specifications will create problems and you will see leaks.

 

This might sound like a wierd question, but about what size is that torque wrench? As I've said, the one I have just doesn't fit into all the small spots where I need it to go.