That one line from a retired AA mechanic in Miami still sticks with me

About 4 years ago I was helping a guy pull an engine off a 737 at a shop in Miami. He was probably 70 years old, retired American Airlines, just helping out for fun. We were trying to get this stubborn bolt loose and I was about to grab the impact gun. He just put his hand on my shoulder and said 'slow down, feel the bolt first.' I thought he was nuts. But he showed me how to put a wrench on it and tap it with a brass hammer in a rhythm. That bolt came right off. It took maybe 2 extra minutes but we didn't strip anything. I think about that whenever I get in a hurry. Has anyone else had an old timer teach you something that seemed dumb until you tried it?

2 comments

2 Comments

bettyk5327d ago

Wait a minute... are you sure that was an AA mechanic in Miami? I remember reading a story almost exactly like this from a guy who used to work for Delta in Atlanta. I don't mean to be that person, but the whole "feel the bolt" thing is a pretty common saying among old timers from all the airlines, not just American. My uncle worked for Pan Am for 30 years and he said the same thing whenever I helped him work on his old Ford truck. Still, the lesson is solid either way. It's amazing how rushing makes everything harder, isn't it?

maxmurphy27d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, the "feel the bolt" thing is definitely not just an AA thing. I’ve heard it from my dad who was a diesel mechanic for years. But you’re right about the rushing part. I used to try and hammer through projects at home, like fixing a leaky faucet, and I’d always mess something up and have to start over. Finally learned to slow down and do it once right, and that saved me so much time in the long run. It’s like the old timers always say, you either take the time to do it right or you take the time to do it twice.