Talked with a Delta inspector at the gate last week and it shook me up

I was grabbing a drink after my shift and this Delta guy starts talking about engine mounts. He said he sees cracks in the brackets on 737s way more than the manuals say is normal, like 3 or 4 times a year. It hit me because I just finished a mount swap on a 727 and didn't give the brackets a second look. Has anyone else heard about this issue or noticed extra wear on those parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea_chen13d ago

Man, "engine mounts" and "didn't give the brackets a second look" - that line really got me because I'm pretty sure I've done the same thing on my own car's suspension and just hoped for the best. I once replaced a control arm and forgot to torque a bolt, only realizing when it started clunking on the highway. So yeah, your story about the Delta inspector makes me think I should probably buy a lottery ticket or something, since my luck has clearly been used up on not having a bracket snap mid-flight.

amymason13d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that clunking sound on the highway is one of those things that wakes you up real fast. I've got a buddy who had a wheel bearing go on his truck and he drove on it for like two weeks just because the noise would come and go. For your suspension stuff, I'd say always double check the torque specs with a click style wrench before you button everything up. The beam style ones can be off by a good bit especially if they've been knocked around in a toolbox.