Just realized the difference between using a 3/8 drive and a 1/4 drive on those tiny avionics bay fasteners.

3 comments

3 Comments

Yeah, that 1/4 inch drive is the only thing that fits in those tight spots without rounding the head. The extra swing you get with a 3/8 just strips them out. Learned that the hard way on a nav light assembly.

finleyw992d ago

Oh man, my buddy did the exact same thing on his motorcycle's brake line! Totally stripped a bolt he couldn't reach later.

kai_park2d ago

My first year as an apprentice, I must have rounded off a dozen of those little screws before my foreman took pity on me. He handed me a 1/4 inch drive and just shook his head. Turns out my whole "more torque is better" plan was a fast track to buying replacement hardware. I felt pretty smart.