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Torqued a bolt on a Cessna 172 engine mount and learned the hard way what happens when you go past 60 ft-lbs
Was working a line maintenance shift at KSDL about 2 weeks ago. Had this 172 come in with a loose engine mount bolt. Grabbed my torque wrench, set it to 60 ft-lbs like the manual said, and just kept cranking. Heard a loud crack. Snapped the bolt clean off inside the mount. Had to drill it out and re-tap the hole. Took me 4 hours and cost the shop about $200 in parts and labor. Felt like an idiot. Anyone else had a torque wrench moment where you just knew you messed up instantly?
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claireg817d ago
Does it ever feel like torque wrenches are just a metaphor for life, where you think you're being careful but then you push one tiny bit too far and everything snaps?
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the_hugo7d ago
Stopped using those cheap beam style torque wrenches after my first big mistake on a Honda Civic engine block. Switched to a click type and never looked back. The trick is to always go slow and listen for the click, not just feel it through your hands. I also started keeping a little log book of torque values for every bolt I touch. Helps me double check before I start cranking. Have you thought about getting a different style torque wrench or just going more careful next time?
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