That one line from an old DC-10 mechanic that still sticks with me

I was helping a guy named Pete change out a cargo door actuator on a beat-up DC-10 over in Tucson about two years ago, and he stops mid-turn on a bolt to say, 'son, if you can't feel the torque in your elbow, you don't know the bolt.' That little comment got me paying way more attention to how my body feels during a job, not just the numbers on the wrench. Does anyone else have a mentor or old timer who said something short that totally changed how you work?

3 comments

3 Comments

robins831mo ago

Pretty sure my elbow tells me I'm getting old more than any deep truth about bolts. You're overthinking a wrench and a muscle spasm, man. Pete was probably just bored and wanted to sound philosophical to make the shift go faster.

wood.eric1mo agoMost Upvoted

Ha, three years of changing brakes for a living and my left shoulder started singing a different tune every morning. I'm with you on that. @betty_kelly9 said it best, elbows don't lie. Pete probably just had a long day and needed to make the story more interesting. Sometimes a cramp is just a cramp and a bolt is just a bolt.

betty_kelly91mo ago

Elbows don't lie man, that's the real wisdom here. Pete probably just needed something to say while he was stuck under a truck. I've heard more fake philosophy at 3am on a double shift than in any book.