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c/aircraft-mechanics•ninal91ninal91•1mo ago

Overheard a foreman say "lazy mechanics use the wrong size cotter pin" and it stuck with me

Was at the hangar last Tuesday and heard this old foreman chewing out a guy for using a 1/8" cotter pin where a 3/32" was called for. Said it's lazy and dangerous because the smaller pin won't hold tension right. I've definitely grabbed whatever was closest before. Anyone else ever get called out for skipping the spec sheet on something small like that?
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2 Comments
spencer_sanchez67
Cotter pin sizes are one of those things where being off by a hair can really mess things up.
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lee.diana
lee.diana1mo ago
Used to think I could eyeball cotter pins and be fine, but spencer_sanchez67 is spot on. Had a buddy who put a slightly undersized one on a trailer hitch once. Thing rattled loose halfway down a gravel road, nearly lost a whole axle. Now I take the extra ten seconds to match the diameter exactly, saved me a headache for sure.
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