The value of a fresh look

[gregc]

I recently asked an IA that has the hanger next to mine to take a look at my firewall forward installation. I'm posting the resulting list not so much because the details will be useful but rather to note the value of having someone else take a fresh look at your work. I was not sure whether or not the inspection was worth doing, in the end, it was. Some things I expected simply because they were part of an incomplete process (no point in torquing all the spark plugs before mag timing etc.) but others were things I missed. To keep it simple I just asked that he note everything he saw.

ff_review.jpg

[Bentmettle]

When I has half my age, I had an experience where a friend installed a pressure regulator finger tight. Since it looked installed, I assumed it was installed, and eventually nearly ran out of argon.

This past weekend, I had to loosen a track tensioner, but since I'd run out of parts on the floor to re-install on this project, I forgot all about the tensioner until the test drive was making a lot of noise.

If I know I'm walking away from a project, I try to use painters tape or something to mark things, or make a list, that are purposely loose. They're the gift that keeps on giving in so many of my projects.

[OhioLSA]

I've learned to do the same thing, Bentmettle. After so many occasions of returning a day or two later and thinking, hmmm... I think I finished installing those, didn't I? But why are there still washers and nuts lying around, and what's this part leftover? So now I write a quick note to give myself a heads-up for the next time I return to the shop.

[OhioLSA]

But to gregc's point, Yes, it's enlightening to see how another person spots things from their perspective. Once they point it out it's so obvious, even if we were blind to it before. Thanks for posting.