Question about a stubborn bleed air valve on a 737

My lead at the hangar in Tulsa told me to just keep tapping the valve body with a soft mallet if it wouldn't seat. I spent a good 20 minutes doing that on a hot ramp last week, getting nowhere and getting mad. Finally, a line guy who used to work for the airline walked by and said, 'Kid, the seal is probably swollen from the heat. Let it cool for an hour and try it dry.' I felt dumb, but I did it. Came back after lunch, didn't even need the mallet, it slid right in. That old timer saved me a ton of headache and a possible write-up. Has anyone else run into parts that just won't cooperate until they've sat for a bit?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_lee19d ago

Yeah, I read that heat can really mess with those seals.

milam4819d ago

We had a bleed valve on a 757 in Miami that was the opposite. It would only seal if you warmed the o-ring with a heat gun first. Cold soak made it too stiff.

holly_reed5519d ago

We had a 737 with a similar leak. Swapping to a fresh o-ring from a warm parts bin fixed it right up.