actually before people invented "a complex machine" they used a simple instrument...That would require a tourk wrench to loosen the two bolts first like in the scene where sarah connor removes it in the deleted scene, and the t-1000 cannot form complex machines like a tourk wrench so not happening
I feel like such a geek for pointing that out
there would be no problem for T-1000 to give his finger that shape and let it turn/float on a liquid base OR just use like humans would, turning it to one side and returning to another
the guy knows how to use a helicopter, he would deal with that small problem )