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Had a conversation with a old timer that made me rethink torque specs
I was working on a 737 flap track at the hangar in Milwaukee last Thursday when a retired mechanic from Delta stopped by to shoot the breeze. He asked why I was following the manual to the decimal and I said because that's what it says. He laughed and told me that in his 30 years he learned the books are a starting point not the gospel. He showed me how he used a little extra grease on the threads to get consistent readings every time instead of chasing that exact number. It hit me different because I've been busting my knuckles over half a foot-pound for months and he made it sound so simple. Has anyone else had a old timer drop some knowledge that saved you time?
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willow24415d ago
Old timers also crashed planes by ignoring torque specs so maybe follow the manual.
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Hasn't that always been the thing though, you spend years learning the hard way only to realize the old guys already figured out the shortcuts? I used to be all about the exact number in the manual too until a Cessna guy showed me how a little lube and feel can get you way more consistent results than chasing decimals. Your mileage may vary but I've found that trusting your hands over the book has saved me a ton of time on jobs.
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