Serious question, ever hit a torque value that just felt wrong?

Was doing a 100-hour inspection on a Cessna 172 at our field in Daytona. Torqued a cylinder base nut to the book spec, 480 inch-pounds. The wrench clicked, but the feel was way off, like it was still loose. Found a tiny bit of old thread sealant in the hole messing with the reading. Cleaned it out, re-torqued, and it seated properly. Anyone else had a spec feel wrong and found a hidden cause?

4 comments

4 Comments

victor_robinson2mo agoMost Upvoted

Check for a stripped thread on the bolt itself, that can give a false click and a mushy feel.

angela_harris1mo ago

Goodness, I've been bit by that exact thing. Agree with the others that a worn or dropped torque wrench is the first suspect, but don't overlook a little grit or old thread locker hiding in the hole, it can throw the reading off by a lot. Best practice is to always chase the threads with a tap and blow them out clean before you ever put a torque wrench on a critical fastener.

reed.skyler2mo ago

That "still loose" feeling after the click is a huge red flag. I always back it off and try again, but I wouldn't assume it's always something hidden like sealant. Sometimes the wrench calibration is just off, or the fastener itself is starting to go.

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the_simon2mo ago

Yeah, I read a forum post once where a guy had that happen on a caliper bolt. He said it clicked but felt wrong, so he checked with a regular wrench and found the bolt was actually way under-torqued. Turned out his click wrench was just worn out and not clicking at the right setting anymore. It's a good reminder to check the tool itself every now and then, especially if it's been dropped or used a lot. That loose feeling is definitely your cue to stop and figure it out.