Ideas for a cheap tail repair? Tail control arm plastic insert..

[RcRotaryMadness]

So the 550 repair is coming along but the tail unit is annoying me... two things need replacing.. the tail shaft as its bent.. thats 10 quid on its own.

Then the tail control arm, itself is fine, not even bent but the tiny plastic insert that the silder fits into has cracked.. about 1/3 of it has broken off into the grass. Whats left wont hold the ball tight enough.

A whole new part means buying the whole control arm for the sake of a plastic insert.

Wondering if anyones got a cheaper solution to this?

My two best ideas are:

A Car dust cap modified to fit.

Or

Use a plastic ball link.. cut it down to size.. epoxy it to the remaining plastic insert.. reem it out a bit and use that?

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[450man]

I am all for cheap repairs if I can do them without compromising the safety of the model but with anything to do with the control system, particularly tail, I would never do anything other than new parts. Are you sure you want to do a repair on the tail rotor control system? It seems vital that this works! Just bite the bullet and get a new part or you may be spending out for many other parts if that repair fails.

[RcRotaryMadness]

Yeah i am being careful about it.. i don't want to increase the chances of a control failure but at the same time it gripes me to pay out ~£12 quid for what is a tiny plastic bushing.

If a good enough fix can be done then it would be fine imo. But only if the fix is upto the job.. if it wasnt then i'd have no choice but to buy more parts lol.
I do think epoxy and a plastic link could do the job.. the plastic insert goes inside a metal hub so its supported so to speak.

[450man]

Yup... I know how you feel.

[tourerjim]

My old flying site matey there used a hollow piece of carbon from local model shop

[flyingjacko]

Hi RC, Yer I no what you mean I have had the same problem which in thee end got the new one, Either put ann ad in here or BMFA for a sec on hand one I think is the cheapest option.


flyingjacko

[RcRotaryMadness]

Yeah tis annoying - I was planning on upgrading it to the newer dual slider one when funds allow so didn't really want be spending on new tail parts on this unit...

Because I've bent the tail shaft it means either a replacement tail shaft for this unit at £10 or buy a whole new unit for £50.. but with holidays, car tax/mot/servicing/insurance and a heli to repair funds are stretched as it is lol.

[muscleflex]

Just imagine how I feel about letting £11 go for a tiny bevel gear for my Blade 130x

[RcRotaryMadness]

Extortionate for some plastic costing 5p lol.

[pgkevet]

cobble soemthing together.. don't let them get ya! carbon tube, brass tube, biro cap.....

[RcRotaryMadness]

...in the end I decided pay the money and have a whole new arm... Will keep the other as a spare, hopefully next time the arm will snap and the plastic bit will be ok lol