Wiggle it …Just a little Bit

[g zero]

It always amazes me when I remove the cowl for one simple item and everything looks perfect….. Then start putting wrenches and hands on things to see if they are as good as they look.
This time I wanted to swap out the Vernatherm… had some odd fluctuations in oil temperatures. After the Vernatherm was installed, oil changed along with the filter. I discovered the alternator belt was ready to be replaced or gonna break soon .Exhaust (4into 1 ) cable mount was broken. Both visually obvious.
What caught be by surprise was the # 3 intake was loose at the head … very loose. Looked great until I wiggled it .
Probably been posted here before… touch and feel stuff, don’t just rely on a visual.

 

[wjb]

Amen! Great advice; I grab and twist everything I can every time cowl is off. Found two broken exhaust hangars this way.

 

[JDeanda]

Yup

When I was starting my A&P career, one of the graybeards I was fortunate enough to learn from taught me “Don’t look at it, grab it. If it comes off in your hand it’s broke, fix it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

 

[rvbuilder2002]

Yup
When doing inspections, touch/feel is often of more value than visually looking at something.