I said:
> An aircraft mechanic working on my plane once told me that if you need
> more torque than a 1/4 inch socket can deliver something is wrong.
sierrasa@psln.com said:
> That's just plain silly. It depends on the size of the
> fastener.
Sure. I agree.
> Larger fasteners, especially on aircraft, are tightened in
> most cases to much more torque than can be reasonably gotten from 1/4"
> drive tools. How are you going to set 80 ft/lbs with a wrench that has
> an upper limit of 200 in/lbs? And even 3/8" torque wrenches typically
> have an upper limit of only 50-60 ft/lbs.
OK: let me make this clear: I am saying that one should use the appropriate
tool for the fastener. My point, which I expressed poorly, was that the
mechanic's comment made me think about torque, and tool size, and how a 1/2"
drive socket may be inappropriate for a, say. 10-32 bolt.
If you're working on carbs
> and magnetos 1/4" drive is quite suitable. When you're bolting on the
> landing gear, it's not.
Actually, on light aircraft 1/4 drive may well be appropriate for the landing
gear. When I replaced the landing gear on my Beech Musketeer (under constant
A&P supervision, of course) the AN-3 bolts were quite amenable to 1/4" drive
removal and installation, and the small tool was a boon working *inside* the
wing. And AC-43.13, "Acceptable Methods, Techniques and Practices: Aircraft
Inspection, Repair and Alterations" recommends 50-70 in-lb (not in/lb) for
these fasteners.
So use the right tool for the job, but think about whether you have too big a
tool for the job.
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