Question about using a torque wrench on every single fastener

Last week at the hangar in Tucson, a new guy was torquing down a simple access panel with a wrench on every bolt. I told him that for non-critical panels, a good feel with a speed handle is fine if you've done it a thousand times. He looked at me like I told him to skip a gear on a walkaround. Three years ago at my old job, we'd have never finished a C-check if we torqued every single 10-32 screw. Has anyone else run into this, or am I just an old dog?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_park7621d ago

That new guy's manual probably says to torque everything, so he's just covering his own tail. The paperwork culture has really changed in the last decade.

ericnguyen21d ago

Is it really just about covering his tail though? Sometimes the rules are there because someone got hurt before. Maybe the paperwork is annoying, but it could be for a reason.

-1

noah_webb2d ago

The manual might say to torque it, but the real reason is often about the fastener's job. A 10-32 on a non-structural fairing just isn't the same as a cylinder base nut. You develop a feel for what actually matters over time.