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Can we talk about how everyone says you need a torque wrench on every single bolt
I was reading through the FAA's AC 43.13-1B handbook last week and found out that for a lot of non-critical hardware, the spec actually lists a torque range wide enough that a calibrated wrist gets you in bounds just fine. Every A&P I've worked with acts like going by feel is a cardinal sin, but the book itself doesn't back that up for every application. So where do you all draw the line between a torque wrench and a feel check?
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margaret_lane1d ago
The thing nobody brings up is that torque specs assume clean, dry threads, and half the bolts you're "feeling" have Loctite or anti seize on them, which changes the drag by a lot. So your calibrated wrist might be dead on for a bare bolt and way off for the same bolt with goop on it. That said, on a valve cover or an inspection panel, send it by feel and save the wrench for anything holding a flight control or a prop.
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