PSA: the torque value in the manual is not the number you should be using | Avionics Technicians - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
PSA: the torque value in the manual is not the number you should be using
I keep seeing guys chase their tails on connector and rack fasteners because they grab the spec out of the AMM and call it done. That number is for a clean, dry, new thread, and a tray in a Southern California hangar after 20 years has neither. I watched a guy at Van Nuys snap two 8-32 screws on a comm rack last month using book torque on threads that had old sealant and grease in them. If you use a lubed thread, you can get the same clamp load with around 30 percent less on the wrench, which is why the screws either strip or back out later. I started wiping threads with isopropyl, checking for burrs, and using a calibrated 0 to 50 in-lb wrench, and my callbacks on loose hardware went away. What are you all using as a rule of thumb for dirty or lubed threads when the manual only gives you one dry number?