to failure of the springs. Obviously, those with broken  springs should be replaced. B-12 snaps are prone to  having the gate sides bent to the point they do not close  properly. This gate may be repaired with a screwdriver  and pliers.  [Figure 5-16]  Straightening the side of the  gate allows the snap to close properly. should be tightened hand tight, then approximately one  quarter turn further. The actual force recommended  for a number 5 link is approximately 30 inch-pounds.  Most riggers do not possess the force gauge to measure  this, so they use the quarter turn guide. After tightening  the links, a “telltale” should be applied to the barrel.  [Figure 5-15]  A telltale is a marker, usually nail  polish, that provides a breakable seal to show if the  barrel has moved. If the seal is broken, the rigger  knows the link may be loose. In doing a repack, if the  telltale is intact, the rigger should not loosen the link  and retighten it because continual tightening can strip  the threads, causing the link to fail. Figure 5-16.  B-12 snap gate repair. Figure 5-15.  Telltale marker. 5.  An area of concern for many riggers, one for which  there is not much guidance, is how much plating wear  and associated corrosion of the hardware is allowable.  This depends on the location of the damage. If it is a  solid ring or buckle, and the damage has occurred from  dragging or abrasion in an area that is not in contact  with webbing, one solution is to clean the rust with  a fine emery cloth and cover it with clear nail polish.  This keeps the area from continued rusting. It does  not, however, prevent further damage caused by the  original rusting. If the rusting is caused by two pieces  of hardware interacting with each other, the problem  is more serious. If allowed to continue, the rust pattern  may cause the two pieces to fuse together under the  most severe conditions. In this case, the hardware  must be removed and replaced. If the hardware in  contact with webbing, such as a leg strap adapter, and  becomes corroded, it must be replaced. This problem  frequently arises when the parachute is exposed to  salt water and not properly rinsed. The hardware rusts  inside the leg strap webbing causing accelerated wear  and must definitely be replaced.  [Figure 5-17] 1.  Starting at the riser end, check the webbing for any wear  or damage and inspect the stitching at the riser ends. If  the canopy has steering lines and a guide ring on the  riser, make sure the ring is secure and the steering line  is attached to the steering toggle correctly. With a round  canopy, make sure the steering line has sufficient slack  in it when under tension. If the line is too tight, it can  fail at opening because of too much stretch. 2.  Continue down the risers. If canopy releases are  installed, check their operation. With the Capewell  cable release, open the release and make sure there  is no dirt or sand in the mechanism. Also, check for  wear, particularly on the cable ring. 3.  Check all of the harness webbing for wear from  chafing, abrasion, and sunlight degradation. Pay  particular attention to the buffer and chafing strips  where used to prevent wear from the hardware. These  buffers are there to provide early warning before  the load-bearing webbing starts to wear. Check the  elastic keepers so the running ends of the straps can  be properly stowed. 4.  Check all of the hardware, paying particular attention  to the leg snaps. Quick ejectors are particularly prone  6.  The ripcord housing and pocket should be checked for  wear and fit of the ripcord. On the housing, check the  ends and the ferrules. On more modern assemblies,  these ferrules are brass and more susceptible to wear  than the MILSPEC types. Look inside to make sure  there are no obstructions to interfere with the ripcord.  5-11 Harness