Worn out....!

[pchristy]

OK, I know we've all replaced rotor shafts because we've bent them, but how many of us have had to replace one because it was WORN OUT????!!!

I was getting my "B" model ready for a contest about a week back, when a fellow club member spotted that the rotor head was clonking whilst I was doing the range check. I thought the bottom bearing had gone, but when I stripped it down today I discovered that the rotor shaft had actually worn away INSIDE the bearing!



The bearing was a bit "gritty", but still spinning!

I had one hell of a job getting it all apart! The bearing was welded to the shaft, and I ended up having to shatter it in a vice to remove it!

I've had the model a few years, and its never been donked, so its never needed a new shaft!

10 points to my fellow club member for spotting it, and Nul Points to me for not spotting it during routine maintenance!



--
Pete

[Danny_K75]

Wow, if only my models lasted that long!

[GravityKills]

Impressive...
I've seen similar on a Raptor 50 pinion. But that spins a bit faster.

[Andy from Sandy]

The shaft has obviously been skidding in the bearing. A way to prevent this is to use some bearing fit, loctite 641, LOCTITE 641 BEARING FIT 10ml

[pchristy]

The shaft has obviously been skidding in the bearing. A way to prevent this is to use some bearing fit, loctite 641, LOCTITE 641 BEARING FIT 10ml

Yes, that was my thought too, but it still doesn't quite make sense.

The shafts are an "interference" fit in the bearings on this particular model (Venture 60) - they have to be driven in with a soft headed mallet. When I replaced the shaft and bearings, I actually had to give it quite a good whack with a copper headed mallet (one I used to use for changing wire-wheels!) to drive it home.

And I couldn't actually get the old bearing off the shaft without destroying it!

Still, it will be interesting to see what difference (if any!) it has made to the flying characteristics.....!

--
Pete

[Janek]

The shaft has obviously been skidding in the bearing. A way to prevent this is to use some bearing fit, loctite 641, LOCTITE 641 BEARING FIT 10ml

While this might be a good idea for Mark, who obviously never crashes, but for us average or below average humans, its not so good. Ever tried to remove a mainshaft that's had bearing fit used ?, especially in models where heat cannot be applied.