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Warning: A stripped bolt on a Cessna 172's cowling latch almost ruined my Friday
I was doing a routine pre-flight check yesterday afternoon and the forward latch just wouldn't budge. Ended up having to drill it out carefully and re-tap the hole, which took an extra two hours. What's your go-to method for dealing with seized fasteners on aluminum airframes?
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xena_hernandez986mo ago
Honestly, have you tried a good penetrating oil and some heat before you go straight to drilling?
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the_max6mo ago
My old shop swore by a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF for a week, then a few taps with a brass punch.
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grace_kelly455mo ago
A week seems like a long time to wait for a stuck bolt. Is it really seized that bad? Penetrating oil and a torch usually gets most things moving. Drilling should be the absolute last resort, not the first step after a soak.
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