Debate between using a dial indicator vs a test indicator for bearing play checks

I've been going back and forth on this for a while now. On this King Air gearbox job last week, I used my standard dial indicator (the cheap one from Matco) and got readings all over the place. Finally borrowed a buddy's test indicator and it was way easier to set up and gave consistent numbers. Now I'm wondering if I should just buy one, but they're like $150 more. Has anyone else made this swap and felt it was worth the cost?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray6138d ago

You said "gave consistent numbers" like that's some kind of proof. All it means is you got the same wrong reading over and over. A cheap dial indicator with a good magnetic base and some patience will tell you the same story if you take the time to set it up right. I've seen guys chase thousandths with test indicators when the real problem was a dirty surface or a loose bracket. Drop the extra cash if you want, but don't pretend the test indicator is magic.

zarag178d ago

Wait wait wait, hold up @ray613, are you seriously telling me you've seen whole setups go sideways because of a dirty surface or a loose bracket? That's just wild to me lol, I always assumed it was user error or the tool itself being junk.