Safety wiring bolt heads, Do's and Don'ts...

[RichLo]

This is more of a PSA for younger people who havent seen anything like this before.

I was replacing leaky gaskets in my 1939 Allis Chalmers B when I saw the previous owner who rebuilt it did a bad thing to the crankshaft mains' safety pins. Luckily everything was still tight so no harm done but I just wanted to share to opportunity to share how NOT to do safety wire. And how to do it OK and then how to do it premium aircraft grade.

The first 2 pics are how I found the crankshaft bolts wired in, just looped in a circle. This is how NOT to do it. If one bolt does come loose it will pull on the other one to loosen with it.

The next pic is how the factory service manual has them, not aircraft grade but X- crossed so if one bolt loosens the other will tighten. The crossed pic is my version, I may re-do this to the aircraft grade still, I dont like how it could flop over the bolt head.

The last pic is aircraft grade taken from the google...

Edit, the pics arent in order but you get the idea

 

[Hipster]

smh

 

[someotherguy]

Top freakin notch work you found in there

Here's a "do" I was taught a long time ago: DO be sure you pick up every single bit of safety wire scrap when you cut it. Because if you DON'T .. it will find its way through tires, sneakers, feet..

Richard

 

[Spareparts]

It's also 6 to 8 wraps per inch. Don't "candy cane" the wire, tuck the cut end around itself like shown in pic 4.
Tip #1: Safety wire will always try to stab you and it fricking hurts!

 

[termite]

This fulfills my learn something new today goal. Thanks RichLo.

Makes me want to look in the service manual for my 1960s D17.

 

[0xDEADBEEF]

Life before thread locker.

 

[someotherguy]

Life before thread locker.

Can you imagine being an old school hardcore hot rodder setting up bolts in jigs to drill holes so you could safety wire 'em in place?

We've got it too easy.

Richard

 

[RichLo]

just try to wrap your head around how to do the bottom right corner with a single piece of wire!! How much prep work has to be done to make sure each hole is drilled in the perfect spot when torqued down

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[alpinecrick]

Thank goodness for Threadlocker!

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

just try to wrap your head around how to do the bottom right corner with a single piece of wire!! How much prep work has to be done to make sure each hole is drilled in the perfect spot when torqued down

You must be registered for see images attach

Those patterns look dangerously close to jewelry!