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Took an old timer's advice on safety wire direction and it saved my skin
I had this crusty old mechanic named Jerry watch me safety-wire a prop governor last spring at our hangar in Tulsa. He told me I was twisting the wire the wrong way and said I should always spin it so the loops tighten clockwise instead of counterclockwise. I thought he was just being picky since I'd been doing it my way for two years with no issues. But last month during a run-up, a loose bolt on a Cessna 210 vibrated free and that safety wire held because the twists were pulling tight instead of loosening. Jerry just nodded at me from across the hangar and didn't say a word. Anyone else have a mechanic call them out on something small that actually mattered later?
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scott.mia11d ago
Jerry sounds like the kind of guy who lets his work do the talking. That clockwise trick is old school but it works because of how vibration behaves under load. I had a similar thing with an old timer who showed me how to properly torque spark plugs on a Lycoming. I thought I had it right until he watched me and said "you aren't seating the washer." Now I double check every time. Those little details feel annoying when you're young but they really do save your hide later. Jerry probably saved you from a much worse situation than just a loose bolt.
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