Got told my brake adjustments were way off by a senior mechanic

I was at a job in Austin last Tuesday, swapping out a controller on an Otis Gen2. An older guy from the union walked by and watched me set the brake gap. He asked why I was using a feeler gauge tighter than the spec sheet said. I told him I always did it that way to be safe. He said 'safe is following the manual, not your gut.' I was annoyed at first but then I re-read the manual for that model and he was right. I had been overtightening for like two years on certain elevators. Now I check the model specific spec before I touch the brake coil. Has anyone else had a veteran call them out on a habit you thought was right?

2 comments

2 Comments

averywright1mo ago

Boss should've caught that at your 90-day review, not two years later.

the_alice1mo ago

and you're telling me this guy just let it slide for two whole years? i can't wrap my head around that, @averywright. that's not just a bad boss, that's straight up negligence. your 90 day review exists for a reason, to catch exactly this kind of thing before it becomes a problem. by year two, that's not a performance issue anymore, that's a pattern they chose to ignore. i'd be furious if i were you, honestly.