Speeder,

This makes no sense. If you have 120 PSI in your tank and a good size hose going to your 600 ft/lb impact, with a directly installed impact socket, it should work just as well as your shop buddy's. I haven't had a bolt I couldn't get lose with my IR and home set up. Plenty of rusty balancer bolts in my past ...

George

I'm pretty sure that my 1/2" IR gun is not 600 ft./lbs. I'll take a look at it tomorrow but it's not quite that good. As for my tank, I run a lot less than 120 psi. I'll take a look at that as well, not sure what my max pressure is. Although compressed air is certainly not complicated, I don't have expert knowledge of the equipment. Mine is strictly small-fry, I'll photograph my compressor and gun and then post it here to hopefully learn something. Thanks...

Nah, it would only take out the radiator, fan, water pump and so on. Look on the plus side, the car would get a free wash! :)

That makes it a sure thing that the owner deserves to have it fixed correctly! :rolleyes:

+1. My I/R is rated 600+ ft/lb in reverse (and they go considerably higher than that now) for removing bolts, and it doesn't matter if I have it on my 6 gal compressor or 30 gal compressor. I never go over it's rated capacity of 90 PSI either. I've loaned it to others when their's wouldn't get the job done, and like Porsche, there is no substitute for I/R. That said, my I/R actually snapped my engine mount crossmember years ago on the stubborn bolts (wouldn't budge them), and John Walker's tip to use a 3 ft breaker bar instead did the trick (even though the torque I was providing manually was less) ...I still owe him for that "experienced guru advice" :). Tank capacity matters for continuious use (blasting, grinders, painting, etc.), not for impact wrenches and the like.