Heli service question??

[spunkmyer]

How often do you guys do give you helis a full strip down and service??

[coptermanic]

Regularly, cos I crash them often enough!!!!!!!!!!

[Mart61]

I was considering putting together a maintenance schedule for my helis, but consideration was as far as it got.

[raptormark]

when i deck them

[mark lane]

I give my helis a thorough check over when cleaning.... invest a good 20 mins per machine. Time is spent doing fastner checks on all the usual suspects and checking hoses and electrical connections etc.

I think further maintainance is only required following a kiss with the ground

[Steve]

I give my helis a thorough check over when cleaning.... invest a good 20 mins per machine. Time is spent doing fastner checks on all the usual suspects and checking hoses and electrical connections etc.

I think further maintainance is only required following a kiss with the ground

Yeah, 20 minutes per heli at the end of each flying session is well worth while. Clean it and check over with a set of hex drivers for loose bolts, check wires for chaffing and rubbing, check the gyro sensor is stuck on right, clean and lubricate (WD40) the tail shaft, main shaft and tail push rod etc. Just because everything was ok at the end of flying yesterday, doesn't mean it will be today.

If you do this every time, it's surprising the number of occasions you'll find a bolt (or set of bolts) working loose indicating there's some unidentified vibes (maybe a bearing going notchy) going on somewhere nearby, and you've found it before the heli has tragically failed in flight.

[zoombolt]

I periodically check for loose bolts etc. Check everything after a crash & change the fuel tubing once a year.

[mark_w]

I really must check mine more, I only really do it when I have a problem. Having said that when I changed mine from a 30 to a 50 everything got taken out, checked, cleaned and put back.

[Mart61]

On checking the fasteners for tightness, do you check the ones going into metal too? I am a little worried about "breaking" the threadlock if I manage a fraction of a turn tighter.

Or do you remove, clean and re-lock those fasteners?

[J-S-Q]

Clean it and check over with a set of hex drivers for loose bolts.

I've wondered if by checking bolts with a hex driver there is any risk over time of causing the bolt to actually come loose, by 'breaking' the Loktite. For this reason I usually just check bolts visually but perhaps I'm being paranoid -does anyone have a similar concern?

[J-S-Q]

On checking the fasteners for tightness, do you check the ones going into metal too? I am a little worried about "breaking" the threadlock if I manage a fraction of a turn tighter.

Or do you remove, clean and re-lock those fasteners?

Looks like you typed exactly the same response as me at the same time!

[Mart61]

Great minds...

[J-S-Q]

Great minds...

Indeed!

[Steve]

I go through all the frame, head and tail cap bolts and just give them a light but firm twist clockwise, regardless of whether they're into metal or plastic. If they've come undone during flying then they'll be completely loose and will just spin. If they don't move then all's ok. This bit of the whole process takes about 3 minutes provided nothing's wrong.

If something is loose, then I start to ask 'why?'

[spunkmyer]

Intresting replys fellas.Any one got ideas on the thread lock question.