Narrative:

On walkaround inspection, found a hydraulic leak on the nose gear steering valve. I informed the shift manager of the issue. We got the part number from the illustrated parts catalog (ipc). There were no parts in stock, so then the shift manager called maintenance control. They informed us that there were no parts in the system. To get the part, boeing would have to get the part off an aircraft on the assembly line. Maintenance control told the shift manager that we could change the seals. Maintenance control had a copy of the ipc breakdown faxed to them and said that it could be repaired. I brought my concern about the issue and stated that I was not comfortable in changing the seals. As we researched in the manuals for a repair, I asked if I could get an engineering authority/authorized from maintenance control. They told the shift manager that they would have to wake up an engineer and that they would not do this. So I, my supervisor, and another technician found a standard practices reference 20-40-03 on right&right of o-ring seals. I and the others involved believed that the seals replacement was covered by the standard practices in the aircraft maintenance manual. The part was broken down in the aircraft and ipc and did not reference a component maintenance manual. So it was my interpretation of the ipc breakdown and the amm that it could be repaired. The valve was leak checked and functionally tested and we found no defects. The aircraft was returned to service. The valve was removed from the aircraft. The part in question was murphy proof. No rigging or adjustments were needed. That is why I made the call to change the seals. My company has contacted me about the issue and think that I have made an illegal repair on a line replaceable unit. This is why I believed that this report is necessary. There needs to be verbiage in the amm to repair such items in question. But I will be more careful in the items I repair. If this comes up again, I will have to ground the aircraft. May need warnings in the manuals to stop this from happening to others in the future. (Warning that the seals can or cannot be replaced.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B717 A&P MECH WAS INSTRUCTED BY ACR MGMNT TO REPAIR A HYD LEAK ON A NOSE GEAR STEERING VALVE THAT IS ONLY LINE REPLACEABLE.

Narrative: ON WALKAROUND INSPECTION, FOUND A HYD LEAK ON THE NOSE GEAR STEERING VALVE. I INFORMED THE SHIFT MGR OF THE ISSUE. WE GOT THE PART NUMBER FROM THE ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG (IPC). THERE WERE NO PARTS IN STOCK, SO THEN THE SHIFT MGR CALLED MAINT CTL. THEY INFORMED US THAT THERE WERE NO PARTS IN THE SYS. TO GET THE PART, BOEING WOULD HAVE TO GET THE PART OFF AN ACFT ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE. MAINT CTL TOLD THE SHIFT MGR THAT WE COULD CHANGE THE SEALS. MAINT CTL HAD A COPY OF THE IPC BREAKDOWN FAXED TO THEM AND SAID THAT IT COULD BE REPAIRED. I BROUGHT MY CONCERN ABOUT THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE IN CHANGING THE SEALS. AS WE RESEARCHED IN THE MANUALS FOR A REPAIR, I ASKED IF I COULD GET AN ENGINEERING AUTH FROM MAINT CTL. THEY TOLD THE SHIFT MGR THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAKE UP AN ENGINEER AND THAT THEY WOULD NOT DO THIS. SO I, MY SUPVR, AND ANOTHER TECHNICIAN FOUND A STANDARD PRACTICES REF 20-40-03 ON R&R OF O-RING SEALS. I AND THE OTHERS INVOLVED BELIEVED THAT THE SEALS REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED BY THE STANDARD PRACTICES IN THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL. THE PART WAS BROKEN DOWN IN THE ACFT AND IPC AND DID NOT REF A COMPONENT MAINT MANUAL. SO IT WAS MY INTERP OF THE IPC BREAKDOWN AND THE AMM THAT IT COULD BE REPAIRED. THE VALVE WAS LEAK CHKED AND FUNCTIONALLY TESTED AND WE FOUND NO DEFECTS. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. THE VALVE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. THE PART IN QUESTION WAS MURPHY PROOF. NO RIGGING OR ADJUSTMENTS WERE NEEDED. THAT IS WHY I MADE THE CALL TO CHANGE THE SEALS. MY COMPANY HAS CONTACTED ME ABOUT THE ISSUE AND THINK THAT I HAVE MADE AN ILLEGAL REPAIR ON A LINE REPLACEABLE UNIT. THIS IS WHY I BELIEVED THAT THIS RPT IS NECESSARY. THERE NEEDS TO BE VERBIAGE IN THE AMM TO REPAIR SUCH ITEMS IN QUESTION. BUT I WILL BE MORE CAREFUL IN THE ITEMS I REPAIR. IF THIS COMES UP AGAIN, I WILL HAVE TO GND THE ACFT. MAY NEED WARNINGS IN THE MANUALS TO STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO OTHERS IN THE FUTURE. (WARNING THAT THE SEALS CAN OR CANNOT BE REPLACED.)

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.