Rant: Spent 6 hours tracking down a hydraulic leak that ended up being a bad O-ring from the factory
I was working on a Gulfstream GIV nose gear retract cylinder last Tuesday. The system kept losing pressure and I figured it had to be a scored cylinder wall or a cracked fitting. I drained the fluid three times, pulled the whole assembly apart, and even borrowed a borescope from the lead mechanic to check for internal damage. Turns out it was a brand new O-ring that had a tiny, barely visible nick right where it sat in the groove. The parts guys swore the seal kit was good, but I replaced that ring with one from my own stash and the leak stopped immediately. I wasted most of a day because I trusted the factory part instead of checking the simplest thing first. Has anyone else run into a new seal that failed right out of the box?