I finally learned why my crimper was leaving bad connections on the ramp in Memphis

Last Tuesday I was out on the line in Memphis trying to finish a pitot static check on a CRJ. I kept getting intermittent resistance readings on a cannon plug and couldn't figure out why. After pulling the pins three times I realized my old crimper was just slightly out of adjustment from years of use. I borrowed a calibrated tool from the hangar and every connection came out perfect on the first try. Has anyone else had a tool get worn down like that and cause headaches?

2 comments

2 Comments

david1232mo ago

Dude, that exact thing happened to me on a 737 a few months ago in Atlanta. I was fighting with a cannon plug for like two hours, kept getting intermittent continuity and thought I was losing my mind. Turned out my old crimper had a tiny burr on the jaw from dropping it on the hangar floor like a hundred times. Swapped to a fresh one from the tool crib and every pin clicked in perfect first try. It's crazy how something so small can mess up a whole job. I swear those tools wear down over the years and you don't even notice until you're screaming at a wire bundle. Now I keep a backup crimper in my box just for that reason.

the_dylan2mo ago

Laughing at that burr story because I've been there except my nemesis was a loose die that would shift mid crimp. Spent three hours troubleshooting a nav light issue on a CRJ before I realized my crimper was making oval shaped pins instead of round ones. Nothing quite like that moment when you swap the tool and all your problems just evaporate. Makes you want to throw the old one into the nearest trash can and watch it bounce.