FUEL HEAT VALVE IN TRANSIT LIGHT ON. CANNON PLUG FOUND LOOSE. CONTRACT MAINT SIGNED OFF THE CANNON PLUG LOOSE WITHOUT REATTACHING THE CANNON PLUG BUT WIRING THE FUEL HEAT VALVE CLOSED AS PER THEIR BOOK. THE VALVE WAS LABELED BACKWARDS SO AFTER TKOF OIL TEMP WENT INTO THE CAUTION RANGE AND A RETURN TO LAND WAS MADE. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND THE FLT CONTINUED ON UNEVENTFULLY.

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#1 FUEL HEAT VALVE LIGHT SHOWED 'IN TRANSIT' UPON ARR IN MINNEAPOLIS. CONTRACT MAINT FOUND CANNON PLUG OFF FUEL HEAT VALVE. THEY WOULD NOT RECONNECT CANNON PLUG; THEY SAID 'THAT'S NOT IN THE BOOK.' THEY THEN VERIFIED VALVE CLOSED AND SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF #1 OIL TEMP WENT INTO CAUTION BAND (TOTAL TIME IN CAUTION ABOUT 14 MINS). RETURNED TO MSP. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT FUEL HEAT VALVE WOULD WORK PROPERLY WHEN CANNON PLUG WAS INSTALLED; AND THAT THE MARKING PLATE INDICATING OPEN/CLOSED WAS INSTALLED BACKWARDS. THUS MAINT HAD IN FACT VERIFIED THE VALVE FULL OPEN (ALTHOUGH THE INDICATION SHOWED CLOSED). THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE HIGH OIL TEMP. PART WAS REPLACED AND FLT CONTINUED ON UNEVENTFULLY. PROB WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF RED TAPE HADN'T PRECLUDED MAINT FROM CONNECTING CANNON PLUG. SEEMS THAT WE (THE PLTS) SHOULD HAVE THE AUTH TO ALLOW PUTTING THE ACFT INTO PROPER CONFIGN -- AT LEAST TO CHK OP. PROB; OF COURSE; WAS COMPOUNDED BY IMPROPER INSTALLATION OF MARKING PLATE.