Finally got a handle on the torque spec for those new Honeywell connector backshells

I kept seeing people at our hangar in Tulsa over-tighten them, which can crush the internal seals and cause moisture issues down the line. The manual clearly states 18 inch-pounds, but folks were just cranking them down with a regular screwdriver. I started using a calibrated torque wrench after a plane came back with an intermittent fault traced to a corroded pin in one of those connectors. Anyone else run into this, or have a good trick for getting the crew to actually check the manual first?

3 comments

3 Comments

colesanchez28d agoMost Upvoted

Man, @grant.jade that sounds like an expensive lesson but 18 inch-pounds is still 18 inch-pounds even in a tight spot, you just gotta get a crows foot adapter on the torque wrench and angle it right instead of guessing.

grant.jade2mo ago

Took me a while to learn that lesson too. I once turned a backshell into a modern art sculpture with nothing but a big screwdriver and a bad attitude. The torque wrench felt like overkill until I realized how much a new connector assembly costs. Now it's the only tool I grab for those jobs.

jessica3972mo ago

But what about when you're in a tight spot and a torque wrench just won't fit? I've had to get creative with a regular wrench and a careful hand more times than I can count. Sometimes the perfect tool isn't an option, so you learn to feel the right tightness. It's a skill that saves you when the book method can't work.