Most of the time I use a Craftsman 7" 3/8" drive ratcheting handle for most of my jobs. I prefer to tighten by feel and haven't stripped any threads yet, although once I did go overboard and snap off a bolt head (later checked the factory service manual and it was spec'ed at 8 lb-ft). The only issue is that I can't get much torque on it with such as short handle.
So for the past month or so I was trying to get off the (3/8" square drive) ATF drain bolt on my wife's 2002 Honda Civic LX. The location is a real puzzler. It's wedged right next to a suspension arm and a socket wrench barely fits in there. I've tried all sorts of things and slightly rounded off the square.
I had a 15" 1/2" drive flex handle I used for manual transmission changes on my WRX, but that wasn't going to fit inside that tight space with an adapter. So I decided that I needed a 3/8" drive breaker bar, and had good luck with Craftsman. Now I suppose the first thing I noticed when I picked it up was that it was no made in China. Other than that it seemed pretty much the same look and quality as I remember my old Craftsman tools.
There was no way I was going to get that thing in (even 10") with the car on the ground, so I whipped out the ramps. So then I had enough room to be able to pull with both hands and it just gave a loud crack sound where I'd thought maybe I'd broken the drain bolt. Everything was intact though; the sound just seemed like something had snapped. Still - I could tell that I was applying way more torque than I could with the ratchet. I'm not sure because there's far less play or if it was just a far more solid connection. And with the 7" ratchet I think I'm applying the force with an effective 4" lever, while with the 10" breaker bar it's about 8".
So is there something about the lack of a ratcheting action that helps with stubborn bolts? Previously I'd been given recommendations to apply some sort of penetrating lube like WD-40 or PB Blaster. When I went to the parts dept to pick up more ATF, the guy at the counter said that often these Honda bolts from the factory undergo electrolysis where the aluminum just bonds to the bolt/transmissions housing and can be a load to remove. Once it broke loose I could easily loosen it by hand.
So for the past month or so I was trying to get off the (3/8" square drive) ATF drain bolt on my wife's 2002 Honda Civic LX. The location is a real puzzler. It's wedged right next to a suspension arm and a socket wrench barely fits in there. I've tried all sorts of things and slightly rounded off the square.
I had a 15" 1/2" drive flex handle I used for manual transmission changes on my WRX, but that wasn't going to fit inside that tight space with an adapter. So I decided that I needed a 3/8" drive breaker bar, and had good luck with Craftsman. Now I suppose the first thing I noticed when I picked it up was that it was no made in China. Other than that it seemed pretty much the same look and quality as I remember my old Craftsman tools.
There was no way I was going to get that thing in (even 10") with the car on the ground, so I whipped out the ramps. So then I had enough room to be able to pull with both hands and it just gave a loud crack sound where I'd thought maybe I'd broken the drain bolt. Everything was intact though; the sound just seemed like something had snapped. Still - I could tell that I was applying way more torque than I could with the ratchet. I'm not sure because there's far less play or if it was just a far more solid connection. And with the 7" ratchet I think I'm applying the force with an effective 4" lever, while with the 10" breaker bar it's about 8".
So is there something about the lack of a ratcheting action that helps with stubborn bolts? Previously I'd been given recommendations to apply some sort of penetrating lube like WD-40 or PB Blaster. When I went to the parts dept to pick up more ATF, the guy at the counter said that often these Honda bolts from the factory undergo electrolysis where the aluminum just bonds to the bolt/transmissions housing and can be a load to remove. Once it broke loose I could easily loosen it by hand.