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Tried a speed handle on a tight engine cowling job and totally whiffed
Last month I had to pull 32 screws off a Cessna 172 cowling and figured I'd finally grab a speed handle to save time instead of using my regular ratchet. Man, that thing was a disaster in tight quarters. I kept slipping off the screw heads and camming out because I couldn't get the angle right in that cramped space. Took me almost twice as long as usual because I had to go back and re-seat half of them by hand. I ended up just tossing the speed handle back in my box and finishing with my stubby ratchet like always. Learned that speed handles are great for open engine bays on bigger birds but absolutely useless on small GA planes with zero clearance. Anyone else find a tool that just doesn't work on certain airframes?
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josephmartin5d ago
Yeah I had the same problem on a 172. Ended up picking up a right angle adaptor for my ratchet and that thing worked way better in those tight spots.
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gavinb975d ago
Man I used to think right angle adaptors were just another gimmick tool that would break the first time you really leaned on it. But then I was fighting with an alternator bracket on an old T400 and couldn’t get a straight shot at the bolt no matter how I twisted my arm. Borrowed a buddy’s cheaper right angle adaptor on a whim and it actually worked way better than I expected. It didn’t snap or slip like I figured it would, and I got that bolt out in about two minutes flat. Totally changed my mind about em, now I keep one in my bag just for those stupid tight spots under the dash or behind the engine.
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kaih365d ago
Yo ever try one of those flex head ratchets with the bendy bit? That's what finally saved me on a similar alternator hell hole, felt like I was gonna break my wrist before that.
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