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Cleaning out the hangar and found a 1970s Cessna manual with a torque spec that made me double check my wrench
I was sorting through a box of old paperwork from a retired mechanic in Tucson and came across a service manual for a 172. The torque for the cylinder base nuts was listed at 300 inch-pounds, which is a good 50 less than what I've been using on the newer models for the last decade. Has anyone else run into old specs that would be considered way off by today's standards?
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andrew9161mo ago
Honestly though, is a 50 inch-pound difference even that big of a deal on those old engines... they ran fine back then with those numbers. Might be overthinking it.
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diana_flores256d ago
You ever think maybe they ran fine because people actually followed the specs? A 50 inch pound gap is huge when you're talking about head gasket sealing or bearing crush. Those old engines were built to a standard, not just thrown together. Ignoring the numbers is how you end up with a leak or a spun bearing. They lasted because mechanics paid attention to this stuff.
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