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I finally realized I was over-tightening every single AN fitting for years
A new guy at the hangar in Tucson pointed out the crushed flare on a fuel line I just did. I was cranking them down like a pipe fitting, not feeling for the 'snug' then the quarter turn. How do you guys make sure you get that feel right on the smaller lines?
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amyh127h ago
Tucson? That's a dry climate, so a crushed flare is a serious leak risk.
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ramirez.vera11h ago
Start by using a good inch-pound torque wrench on a practice fitting until you get the muscle memory. I keep a scrap piece of line with a fitting on my bench just for this. You learn to feel that slight increase in resistance right before the quarter turn. For the really small lines, like 1/4 inch, I sometimes go by sound, listening for that clean metal-on-metal stop instead of the crush.
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Sounds like you're describing a fine art more than a plumbing job. Guess that's why my home repairs always end with a slow, sad drip. Maybe I should try listening for the sound of my wallet crying instead.
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