PSA: That 3-hour engine mount swap turned into a 9-hour nightmare

I was real cocky walking into a Cessna 172 engine mount swap last month. Figured I'd have it done in half a day easy. But the bolts on the right side mount were seized so bad we had to soak them in Kroil for three hours and still ended up using a torch. Then the new mount didn't line up perfectly with the firewall holes because of some old corrosion I missed. I spent another two hours chasing threads and filing down a bracket just to get it to sit flush. Total time from start to finish was nine hours with a lunch break. What kind of simple job turned into a full-day fight for you guys?

3 comments

3 Comments

wade_kelly7712d ago

Wait, wouldn't a torch and Kroil make that job faster not slower?

wood.uma12d ago

Torch and Kroil help, sure, but on those engine mount bolts the heat just bakes the rust on tighter if you're not careful. Faster in theory, but I've seen guys spend an hour fighting a bolt that would've come out with patience and a breaker bar.

torres.blair13d ago

was real cocky" oh man I felt that one in my bones. That's ALWAYS how it goes with engine mount swaps. I swear they put those bolts in with angry intentions.