I finally spoke up when a new inspector in Tulsa insisted on using a 3/8-inch drive torque wrench for every single panel fastener on a 737.

He said, 'The manual doesn't specify a drive size, so bigger is always better for control,' right after he rounded off a bolt head. I had to show him the specific service bulletin that calls for a 1/4-inch drive on those fasteners to prevent over-torque. How do you handle it when someone in authority is confidently wrong about a procedure?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jana25d ago

My buddy had a foreman like that with a hydraulic line.

wilson.joseph24d ago

Man, I've seen that exact thing happen. A lead tried to torque cabin seat tracks with a half-inch gun because he liked the weight. It cracked three bases before someone pulled the structural repair manual. Sometimes you just have to grab the actual spec and lay it open on the workbench without saying a word. Letting the book do the talking avoids a direct fight. What did your inspector say when he saw the bulletin?

taylorshah25d ago

Man, that's a classic. I saw a guy try to use a cheater bar on a live electrical panel once. Sometimes you just have to physically show them the book, page by page. It shuts down the "my way" talk real fast.