Noticed a big difference after switching to a digital torque adapter last quarter

I mean, I've been twisting bolts by feel for like 8 years, never thought much about it. Then a guy I work with at the hangar in Tulsa let me borrow his digital torque adapter for a week. I was doing a brake assembly job on a 737 and the readings were way off from what my old beam wrench showed, like 15 ft-lbs in some spots. After using the adapter for that whole week, I went back to my regular wrench and now I second-guess every click. Has anyone else made that switch and then struggled to trust the old tools again?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy69228d ago

...my buddy over at the MRO in Dallas had the same thing happen after he borrowed my adapter. He swore his torque wrench was fine for years until he checked it against the digital one and found it was clicking way early. He still keeps the old one in his box but only uses it for stuff that doesn't really matter, like cowling fasteners.

webb.jordan28d ago

But have you ever checked how much of a difference an extension bar throws off the reading? I'm not talking about the angle either, that's easy to figure out. If you're using a regular socket adapter that's got some wear or slop in it, the click can happen before the fastener actually gets the torque you want. I've seen guys trust those things for years and then wonder why stuff keeps backing out or snapping. Honestly, if you're torquing anything that holds a prop or a control surface, that old wrench should be in the trash, not the cowling drawer.