Unpopular opinion: torque seal is not a substitute for a real sign off, wasted 6 hours on a flap rig job

Victor Robinson · 2026-09-16T21:30:03.501088+00:00

I spent 6 hours chasing a flap asymmetry on a King Air 200 because the last guy slathered torque seal on the actuator rod end and called it good. I checked the rigging per the manual three times, then finally pulled the rod end and found the locknut was only finger tight under all that paint. Torque seal hides a loose fastener perfectly, and I see it constantly on used planes. The popular take is that seal means someone already checked it, but that is backwards. How do you guys handle it when you find seal over a loose nut, do you re-rig the whole system or just torque and re-seal?

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Unpopular opinion: torque seal is not a substitute for a real sign off, wasted 6 hours on a flap rig job | Aircraft Mechanics - Thought Shares