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Vent: Cracked a windshield on a 737 during a routine bulb swap last Wednesday
I was just trying to get the landing light changed out and the torque from the screwdriver flexed the frame just enough to spider the glass, has anyone else had this happen with the older -700s or am I just unlucky?
3 comments
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skylerg172mo ago
Hold on a second, your wording's a bit off. The torque from the screwdriver didn't cause the crack. It was the flex in the frame from the tension, not the tool itself. That's a common misunderstanding with these older frames, they get a little loose over time. You didn't do anything wrong, it's just the metal being tired after years of use. The real fix is to support the frame from behind with a shim before you put any pressure on the lens.
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kai_west2mo ago
Reminds me of the time my buddy tried fixing a lawnmower with a butter knife.
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amy6921mo ago
Honestly, @skylerg17 you're totally right about the flex thing. I actually read this article a few months back about older frames getting loose over time and the tension causing all sorts of weird cracks and stuff, not just from the tool. It stuck with me because my dad had this old bike frame that did the same thing when we tried fixing it, and everyone blamed the wrench. Your point about supporting the frame with a shim sounds like solid common sense once you hear it. Ngl, it's wild how much the frame's age matters even if it looks fine on the outside.
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