Had to re-learn how to torque bolts after 8 years on the line

I was working on a Cessna 172 down at KAPA last Tuesday, and the senior inspector noticed I was using a ratchet to break loose bolts instead of a torque wrench for final tightening. He pulled up a Lycoming service bulletin that showed I had been over-torquing cylinder hold-downs by about 15 foot-pounds for years. The tip off was when he showed me the stretch marks on an old head bolt I had messed up. Has anyone else had a basic habit like that completely flipped by an old timer?

2 comments

2 Comments

drew_grant5220d ago

Read a study that said 80% of aircraft torque mistakes come from habit, not tools.

robinwalker20d ago

Yeah that stretch mark thing is a dead giveaway once you know what to look for. Old timers catch stuff like that because they've seen the aftermath a hundred times. I had a guy show me the same thing on some exhaust studs and it changed how I think about torque completely. Its wild how one little habit can mess things up for years without anyone noticing.