On valves, a cheater bar is the fastest way to bend a stem, crack a handwheel, gall a stem nut or crush a seat by overclosing. Plants often ban them in favour of proper valve wrenches with known length, or require a gear operator on valves that need more torque. Nearly every crew keeps one leaning in a corner anyway.
Put the cheater bar down, if it takes that much to shut, the seat's full of junk and you'll just bend the stem.
If a valve needs a cheater to close, it is telling you something; find out what before you lean on it.
Also heard as
- cheater
- snipe
- persuader
Related terms
F-wrench
An F-shaped steel bar that hooks over handwheel spokes to give extra turning leverage on a valve.
Stem
The rod that carries motion from the handwheel, lever or actuator through the bonnet to the closure member.
Galling
Severe adhesive wear where loaded metal surfaces slide, cold-weld together and tear material out.
Seat
The surface inside a valve that the closure member presses against to stop flow.