A retired A&P in Tulsa asked why I torque by feel on oil lines, and it's been eating at me

Thea Sanchez · 2026-10-10T15:45:03.810394+00:00

Last week I did a 100 hour on a 172 and an old mechanic who used to run a shop in Tulsa for 30 years watched me snug up a fitting and asked if I'd ever seen a torque wrench in person. He wasn't being a jerk, he just said he's replaced 4 engines in his career from guys who trusted their wrist, and I started counting how many times I do the same thing on stuff I can't even see after. Do you guys torque everything in the manual or is there a point where "good and tight" feels fine to you too?

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A retired A&P in Tulsa asked why I torque by feel on oil lines, and it's been eating at me | Aircraft Mechanics - SMM Buzz