That old DC-9 mechanic who taught me about feel instead of specs

Back in 1993, I was working at a little regional airline in Boise. Old guy named Pete, must have been pushing 70, took me aside one afternoon. He had me torque a bolt on a flap actuator, and after I checked the manual and set the wrench exactly, he just shook his head. Said 'put the book down and feel it.' He made me do it over and over until I could tell when it was tight just by the way the wrench hesitated. Never forgot that. Still think about it every time I fight a torque spec on an old airframe. Anyone else have a mentor like that who taught em something you can't find in any manual?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyg6019d ago

Did Pete ever explain why he trusted feel over the numbers? Like, was it just experience or had he seen too many bolts strip out because someone followed the manual to the letter on an old worn-thread bird? I'm curious if he had a specific story that made him that way.

the_robert19d ago

Oh @abbyg60 I remember him telling me once he snapped a bolt on a C-130 because the manual said torque it dry but the threads had old loctite caked on so after that he always went by feel.