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Back in '08 I'd torque a Cessna 172's prop bolts with a 3-foot cheater bar and a prayer, but after a scary vibration on a test flight out of Daytona, I switched to a calibrated torque wrench and haven't looked back.
Anyone else have a 'close call' that made you completely change a routine task?
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cameron6845mo ago
Three foot cheater bar on a prop bolt that torque spec is probably what, 30-35 ft-lbs? That's asking for a cracked crankcase flange or stripped threads, not just a vibration. I'm not trying to be that guy (okay maybe I am), but a Cessna 172's prop bolts are super specific and a cheater bar puts way too much leverage on the aluminum hub. The vibration you felt could've been a partially sheared bolt or a crooked prop that finally settled. Glad you switched to the torque wrench before something came off in flight (that would've been real bad). It's a good reminder that "feel" is great for some things, but not for critical fastener torque.
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aaron6776mo ago
Yeah, that grinding noise is a hard lesson. After something like that, the extra 30 seconds for the dipstick feels like nothing.
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wesley1396mo ago
Man, that'll do it. I used to eyeball the oil level on my old bike, just a quick check. Then I ran it almost dry on a long backroad haul. Locked up solid. Now I use the dipstick every single time, no exceptions. That grinding noise still haunts me.
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