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That time a lead mechanic named Dave warned me about over-torquing spark plugs on a Lycoming
Dave told me to stop going by feel and use the inch-pound torque wrench every time. I ignored him on an O-320 last winter and stripped a thread, cost us 3 days and $400 for a helicoil job. Has anyone else learned that lesson the hard way?
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jordan30526d ago
Dave told me the exact same thing and I did the exact same thing on a Continental IO-470. Spent a whole weekend kicking myself while chasing threads.
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shane_nguyen26d ago
Spent a whole weekend kicking myself" lol that hits close to home. What gets me is nobody ever talks about how the thread pitch on those old Continentals is actually different from what most mechanics expect. I messed one up a few years back and found out the hard way that the helicoil kit for the IO-470 is a weird non standard size. The standard automotive taps people grab at the hardware store are just close enough to make you think you're okay until the insert walks out on you mid flight. If Dave didn't mention checking the pitch before you started, he missed the most important step honestly.
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