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Rant: I was stuck on a stripped screw in a tight spot on a Cessna flap track for an hour.
The head was totally rounded out and my extractor kit wouldn't fit in the space. Out of ideas, I tried a trick an old timer mentioned once: I took a flat punch and a small hammer and tapped the edge of the screw head counter-clockwise. It took about twenty careful taps, but it actually started to turn and I got it out. Some guys say you should never use force like that on airframe parts, but others say a controlled tap is fine if you're careful. What's the line between a good trick and a bad habit in a situation like that?
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nancycooper18d ago
So you got it out, but what's the plan for the hole now? Is the thread totally trashed or can you chase it?
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patricialee18d ago
Honestly, the bigger worry is metal shavings. Even a tiny bit from that punch work can fall into the track mechanism. Did you flush it out completely before putting in the new screw? That's a quick way to get a bind later on.
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