Align Cheese Screws

[dam74]

Hi,

I've got a few screws that the heads have sheared and they're on the tail housing. I was thinking of dremelling them off and then getting a pair of grips on to the stub to remove the rest of it. Have some new screws to replace them with.

Any advice on what to do?

Cheers

[frog]

I tend to use a dremel with a cutting disc, cut a slot in them and use a flat head screwdriver to get them out

[xygax]

Very sharp pair of snips.... grip the outside of the head and then turn slowly after you are sure they have cut into the cheeisum they will come out... I use a pair of lindstroms orks every time...

Steve

[maderdog_1024]

once you have removed them, buy allen keys that fit properly !

[Tim Procter]

once you have removed them, buy allen keys that fit properly !

Hudy Tools.

[Stu.]

Doesnt matter whether you have a fantastic set of ultra expensive hardened ones or not.

Align cheese bolts strip at the slightest notice. Epecially if you use more than a slight dribbling of threadlock on them

Best replace the ones you take out...also a microtorch is incredibly handy at heating and loosening off the threadlock.

S

[dam74]

I use the allen keys that Align provided but I also have a set of hardened Kinchrome (like Sidchrome) allen keys. The weak point is the head, not the allen key as you can see the head has gone from black to silver where it has worn down.

Will try slotting the head first and using a flat head screw driver and then I'll resort to my method. I have a genuine align hardware kit to replace the screws but wondering if there is a better alternative. This is to replace the tail boom box where you have 8 hex screws into the frame.

[coptermanic]

I had the very same prob with the screws in the tail box. Used a solder iron to get rid of the threadlock, and cut slots in the heads. Eventually got them all out.

[wil1972]

Hi,

I've got a few screws that the heads have sheared and they're on the tail housing. I was thinking of dremelling them off and then getting a pair of grips on to the stub to remove the rest of it. Have some new screws to replace them with.

Any advice on what to do?

Cheers

Modelfixings.co.uk have the M2 * 5mm cap screws (deaper head) that work well on the tailbox - I changed my 450 ones with these and no more problems.

with the old ones, I heated the screw head up with a soldering iron and they came out pretty easy.

[dam74]

Which modelfixings screws do people use, the cap screws or the button head (like the original) screws? Also is there any material that people prefer to use? I know they do button head screws in stainless and wonder if anybody uses them?

[jamiem]

I don't really have any problems with Align screws, only the odd one here and there, perhaps you used too much locktite and too much force when tightening?

[dam74]

Jamie some of them weren't even loctite. I probably should of been a bit more cafeful with them but on whole I do find them ok. However they should be a lot harder than they are.

[jamiem]

The other thing i always do on Align heli's is to use a lot of downwards pressure on the driver as you undo it, seems to help a lot

[dam74]

While we're on the subject of cheese. Just put the main gear back in and the main bearings seem noisy and I have some genuine align ones on order. There was a place that somebody suggested a while back for decent replacement bearings.

Also just looking at the main gear and autorotation gear. Now should the autorotation gear rotate clockwise freely from the main gear if I rotate the shaft?
For the life of me I can't remember if this is normal or not.