Not sure if this is the correct area to post this, trying to help my friend. My friend is changing the rotors on his DeTomaso Pantera. The rear rotors are held in a knuckle with a hub that requires 300 foot pounds of torque to re-install (he hasn't gotten it apart yet either). He was advised by the parts supplier to use a "torque multiplier" - a tool similar I suppose to a torque wrench but made for this kind of leverage. He priced the tool out at around $500+, and he needs to use it twice. Is there anyone out there (perhaps a pro who owns their own shop) who has the tool or something similar and can perform this service? If you're not local to NYC, he will ship you what he has, and pay you for your service. Any help is appreciated. Thanks, Phil
Not exactly. He's been looking for a moderately priced one, and anything under $250 is not available. The one on Northern's site is on a 30 day back order, but has also been that way for a couple weeks now. Phil
If it were that simple, you wouldn't be asking right. If he has a torque wrench that'll get to 250ft. lbs or, the final 50ft lbs could be accomplished with an additional 1/4 turn on a breaker bar (not hanging off the torque wrench). I realize this is hardly the "proper" way but it can accomplish the goal which is "tight". From my experience the life span of the rear wheel bearings is short on these cars and no one has solved that issue. I don't see being off a couple ft. lbs. creating a premature failure or safety risk.
My understanding is that you basically have to disassemble the rear uprights to change rotors in the rear of a Pantera-- not a trivial job. One could also just hang 75lbs of weight from a 4 foot bar, 100 lbs from a 3 foot, etc to apply the required torque. Does your friend know about the Pantera International forum and the POCA email forum?
Yes, regarding the disassembly. That part is done, at least, the major pieces are off the car. He still needs to remove the rotor from the hub and knuckle. We've been through the calculations on pipe lever lengths and torque wrenches, and may revert to that. But that seems like a "I guess it's ok" solution versus dialing in a setting on a wrench and cranking until you feel the click. He's been active on both PI and POCA, but let's just say they aren't as "community minded' as we are here. He's showed me some of the posts and email replies - lot's of argumentative opinions, sort of like "who can talk the loudest", so I told him I'd inquire here for him. Thanks for your help, if one of those <$250 torque multipliers can be found in stock, that's the way to go. Anything more than that isn't worth it for something he'd use 2x. We're also looking for truck repair and machine shops in NJ that can do this for him, they must have the equipment. Phil
Check out this website by Mike Daily. He is probably knows more about the Pantera than anyone else. (Also Dick Koch who has the twin-turbo hand built one). If you can PM me your email, I will send it to both Mike and Dick to see if one of them can get back to you. I had a 74, and had the whole front and rear sections apart to rebuild, including the Spicer half-shaft sections that need the "special socket" for $120. I for-the-life-of me am drawing a blank on the rear rotor change.
Years ago I helped a guy take a crankshaft nut off of a Harley and we tried pipes on breaker bars... We ended-up borrowing a 3/4 drive Snap-on and a 1"drive import impact wrench. We were surprised that the Snap-on impact did not do it and the 1" import popped-it right-off. My choice for a couple hundred would be to get a Harbor Freight 1" impact. http://www.harborfreight.com/1-inch-impact-wrench-92421.htm If you were really financially strained, you could return it after you tried-it. However, if it worked I would keep it. At the store in Orange they had some of the big guns on clearance. Mark
Personally I trust my ability to measure 36 or 48" more than I trust a cheap torque wrench. Unlike most cars, the axle flange appears to sit OUTBOARD of the rotor. So you have to remove that nut that is held by the 300ftlbs to get the rotor out. see http://www.panterasbywilkinson.com/webpages/catalog/ill2b.html Most people replace the axle with a solid one (the stock one is hollow and can break) while they have the thing apart. Some people also convert to tapered roller bearings. I don't recall seeing anything on the [email protected] email list. Did your friend post there? Your friend might just want to take his upright with the captured axle to a specialist and let them do the work. A lot of power goes thru that axle and upright and you don't want to get something wrong. Jim
