Stock Proboat flex shaft vs OSE upgraded flex shaft

[Hawcer]

The stock shaft in my UL-19 isn’t very true and has lots of wobble. This causes buzzes, vibrations, and premature strut bushing wear, IMO.

I ordered an OSE uprgrade shaft to replace it.
It comes with:

- flex shaft
- drive dog
- nut
- brass bullet nut
- Teflon stuffing liner.

It’s preset and ready to install once the old line is removed. This is the hardest part of the job imo. I removed the strut so it could also be thoroughly cleaned. It’s also a good idea to run a cleaning patch up the brass stuffing tube to clean out any gunk.

The new liner may need to be trimmed off a little. I left it a bit longer than the factory liner. It extends out past the brass tubing about 3/16” on both ends.

OSE also has a HD flex dive that is much thicker and doesn’t require a liner, but they were out of stock.

I recommend anyone with a Proboat to check their shafts, Horizon didn’t seem to think this was an issue and this is the norm for their shafts.

Just look at this quick vid I made to see the difference. It’s not super technical, but you can see the difference.

https://youtu.be/gLAG5-G4YP8

[30nitro]

Wow.....That stock flex was way out...definitely would not have used it..... OSE flex for sure... have seen other RTR's with some flex issues....not all...but some.

[MADRCER]

Hawcer,
Remember how many times you got the boat hung up in the weeds in the pond? That probably bent/warped the prop shaft trying to get it unstuck.

[Hawcer]

Nope, it was like this before I ever ran the boat. I noticed it the first time I greased it and also the prop wobble when testing the radio for the first time. Long before hitting any pond grass or floating algae slime.

Horizon even told me a bend at where the cable is crimped to the prop shaft is normal. Normal for ProBoat, not for all flex cables apparently.

[MADRCER]

Wow! you shouldn't of ever ran that if that was the case. Don't run the OSE cable unless you put a true .150 coupler on it as well, like this one or you'll be sorry..lol!
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-ocfhe5mm15S

[Hawcer]

Wow! you shouldn't of ever ran that if that was the case. Don't run the OSE cable unless you put a true .150 coupler on it as well, like this one or you'll be sorry..lol!
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-ocfhe5mm15S

Thanks for the heads up on the coupler. I wonder why OSE doesn’t recommend it with this shaft?
From day one, something seemed off, slow, extra heat, short run times, etc. you even said something was wrong with it. I know squat about rc boats, Horizon has been no help...so I do what I can ,when I can...and look for answers from people more experienced.

[boatsrnew2me]

Wow! you shouldn't of ever ran that if that was the case. Don't run the OSE cable unless you put a true .150 coupler on it as well, like this one or you'll be sorry..lol!
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-ocfhe5mm15S

yup ....i found out the hard way .but my boat came to me that way .and they do recommend the coupler
We suggest using part number oct-ocfhe5mm15 coupler with this shaft

[Hawcer]

yup ....i found out the hard way .but my boat came to me that way .and they do recommend the coupler
We suggest using part number oct-ocfhe5mm15 coupler with this shaft

I must be completely blind, because I don't see any such recommendation. (See pic)

Link to the cable in question:
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=ose-ul19-cable

[Hawcer]

From Steve at OSE

"You can use a 5mm15 coupler. but you should be able to use the stock coupler unless the inside is worn out.
If you have a loose coupler and its run loose, the inside of the coupler will wear out quickly and never really grip good again."

The stock coupler has never run loose or failed to grip to wear it out. and it seems to grip the .150 cable pretty good. IDK...just more headache.
So I guess it's a toss up.

[MADRCER]

I must be completely blind, because I don't see any such recommendation. (See pic)

Link to the cable in question:
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=ose-ul19-cable

boatsrnew2me is referring to the Veles Cable which is the same as the Ul-19 cable but just shorter in length.

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=ose-veles-cable


yup ....i found out the hard way .but my boat came to me that way .and they do recommend the coupler
We suggest using part number oct-ocfhe5mm15 coupler with this shaft
The short version of the Octura coupler on some applications because it allows more room if you want to use a cable saver without having to fight with a tight space or potentially have to trim the stuffing tube off some.

[boatsrnew2me]

From Steve at OSE

"You can use a 5mm15 coupler. but you should be able to use the stock coupler unless the inside is worn out.
If you have a loose coupler and its run loose, the inside of the coupler will wear out quickly and never really grip good again."

The stock coupler has never run loose or failed to grip to wear it out. and it seems to grip the .150 cable pretty good. IDK...just more headache.
So I guess it's a toss up.

well i got a veles with the upgraded ose cable ,previous user ran the stock coupler ,it went in and out the coupler pretty hard ,i just thought it was a tight fit and didnt give it much thought until the thing spun on me .
the coupler actually wore a dimple,or low spot on the shaft and spun on me requiring me to rescue my boat .luckily the cable didnt come out because of that fact it wore it down into a dimple per-say and behind the low spot was a high spot that kept the cable in the boat .

just get the correct coupler ,now i need a coupler and a new cable.

[MADRCER]

From Steve at OSE

"You can use a 5mm15 coupler. but you should be able to use the stock coupler unless the inside is worn out.
If you have a loose coupler and its run loose, the inside of the coupler will wear out quickly and never really grip good again."

The stock coupler has never run loose or failed to grip to wear it out. and it seems to grip the .150 cable pretty good. IDK...just more headache.
So I guess it's a toss up.

Pro Boat used to use what appeared to be 4mm cables in most all their boats instead of .150 cables up until the launch of the Veles and UL-19. Some people have found this out the hard way that some of these new boats have had what appears to be 4mm couplers on them from the factory as well. I'm trying to give you advise so you won't be the next person that puts an old stock coupler (4mm) on a true .150 cable and finds out the hard way that the coupler can bottom out and seem tight but in essence it's not. Do or run whatever you want to run but if I'm doing something I'm going to make sure everything I'm doing is right the first time if possible (because it's cheaper that way) rather to find out later when I'm spending $70.00 for a new .150 cable, a new Octura .150 short coupler, and a replacement stock prop. Good luck with it!

[Hawcer]

I'll measure both cables with a set of calipers to see the minor differences.

another order into OSE appears to be needed. Once a week orders to OSE are getting pretty routine now, so the wife might quit questioning them,LOL.

ANYTHING else I might need to add while I'm at it? might as well try to dot all my I's and cross all of my T's while I'm at it.
Shaft saver collar thing maybe? any other props to try out? Magic dust, holy water to bless the pond,etc?

[MADRCER]

If you wish....

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=ose-80072

[Hawcer]

I'm gonna order a 5mm to .150" coupler, .150" collar, prop spacer, and maybe a couple of them cnc props to test out. 1.6x42mm and 1.6x44mm (de-tongued series).

I just hope I can get it back on the water before its frozen over.

[Hawcer]

Ok, I measured both flex shaft diameters.
Measuring both in the middle of the shaft gave these results:

Stock = .149”
OSE = .146”

Now, measuring where it matters. The first half inch that goes into the coupler.

Stock = .147”
OSE = .149”

Why the difference?
The stock shaft appears to be machined smooth at the tip, reducing the diameter. (Welded tip, and ground smooth, I'm assuming)
The OSE shaft looks to be solder reinforced, increasing the diameter.

Steven at OSE assured me it is fine to use as is. And that he has sold many of these cables to people that didn’t ever order a coupler.

I’ll still order a coupler because I’ll need one anyway for my other hydro when it’s converted.

First pic is the OSE shaft, second is the stock shaft.

IF YOU DO NOT READ THIS WHOLE THREAD, KNOW THIS. REPLACE THE COUPLER WITH A MATCHING .150” COUPLER. DO NOT RISK IT. DO NOT IGNORE THE WARNINGS!!!!!
THE STOCK PROBOAT COUPLER IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE OSE UPGRADED .150” SHAFT.

[Hawcer]

I took her out today for to run though a coupl set of batteries.
First laps it was nice and smooth, seemed a lot quieter too with a non-bent shaft. I had the stock prop on there.

https://youtu.be/qkB9RsY8spI

[Hawcer]

I. Swapped out the batteries, made sure the coupler was still tight and swapped the prop to the pre-prepped Octura x442.

EVERYBODY stand up and scream “I TOLD YOU SO!!!!”

Disregard all the measuring and verifying the numbers bs...it doesn’t matter. Apparently OSE ,150 shafts are not compatible with Proboat couplers regardless.


https://youtu.be/9lMo99ghIf8

My new prop and new shaft now rest on the bottom of the pond. I’m more pissed I just didn’t listen to you guys. But when the place selling the shafts says it will be fine, what do ya do?

I can’t believe my wife isn’t upset about it and she can’t believe I’d share my mistake with the people that warned me.
Lesson learned the hard way, I’ll admit it when I’m wrong especially when the proof is undeniable.

[MADRCER]

From MADRCER on OSE....

Pro Boat used to use what appeared to be 4mm cables in most all their boats instead of .150 cables up until the launch of the Veles and UL-19. Some people have found this out the hard way that some of these new boats have had what appears to be 4mm couplers on them from the factory as well. I'm trying to give you advise so you won't be the next person that puts an old stock coupler (4mm) on a true .150 cable and finds out the hard way that the coupler can bottom out and seem tight but in essence it's not. Do or run whatever you want to run but if I'm doing something I'm going to make sure everything I'm doing is right the first time if possible (because it's cheaper that way) rather to find out later when I'm spending $70.00 for a new .150 cable, a new Octura .150 short coupler, and a replacement stock prop. Good luck with it!

:doh:


I.My new prop and new shaft now rest on the bottom of the pond. I’m more pissed I just didn’t listen to you guys. But when the place selling the shafts says it will be fine, what do ya do?

I assure you Steve didn't know the coupler wouldn't work with his cable or he would have told you to buy the .150 coupler. As a matter of fact most people wouldn't think about it either and assume all "small cables/couplers" are .150 cables and sometimes forget about the dreaded 4mm ones. We all live and learn...Everything happens for a reason. Good luck with it and use that cable saver!!!

[Hawcer]

Yeah, it sucks to learn the hard way.
I could try to drag the pond with a big magnet since my vid footage shows where I lost it. But it’s pretty deep and no “people” boats or swimming allowed, and who knows how much crud and sludge is on the bottom So tossing a magnet out that far and dragging it back in could be futile.

[boatsrnew2me]

sorry dude .i was pretty fortunate i guess .

[Hawcer]

I’ll order another shaft, the correct coupler, and a shaft saver. I have to hold off now on replacing the prop. Too much $$ already spent on toys this month. I also lost the little white thrust washer. I’ll have to locate one of those too.

I was impressed with the shaft quality over the stock one. Maybe I should wait for the HD shaft to be back in stock since I’ll be jumping up to 6s sooner or later. That prolly takes a different coupler too.

To anyone reading this post for the first time. Do as these guys said, not as I did. The proof is all there, it’s not just an opinion or two.

[MADRCER]

I also lost the little white thrust washer. I’ll have to locate one of those too.
https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-oc6twmm

[Hawcer]

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-oc6twmm

Thanks for the help.
...and the HD cable is back in stock. Should I just go that route even if still running 4s?

[MADRCER]

Thanks for the help.
...and the HD cable is back in stock. Should I just go that route even if still running 4s?
It's up to you. but the HD cable is a .187 cable, so you will need that coupler instead of the .150 coupler and you might need to cut some off of the brass stuffing tube because the .187 coupler is longer than the .150 coupler.

[Hawcer]

I went with the HD cable and everything else needed to go with it. Also added a CNC 42mm x 1.6 prop to try out. There goes my plans to order some 3s batteries this week.

[Hawcer]

:doh:



I assure you Steve didn't know the coupler wouldn't work with his cable or he would have told you to buy the .150 coupler. As a matter of fact most people wouldn't think about it either and assume all "small cables/couplers" are .150 cables and sometimes forget about the dreaded 4mm ones. We all live and learn...Everything happens for a reason. Good luck with it and use that cable saver!!!

for whatever it's worth.
Steve just told me the stock coupler and their coupler have the same specs. I don't know if that means the OSE coupler or the Octura coupler has the same specs...I'm guessing OSE.

afterthought:
When tightening the coupler on the stock shaft, i could feel it slowly cinch down and squeeze the cable tighter. I recall with the OSE shaft when tightening the coupler it had an abrupt stop when tight. I was thinking it was the just the "harder" soldered section of the tip not allowing as much "squeeze".

[MADRCER]

Steve is correct, they do have the same specs.....if the boat leaves the factory with the correct coupler and not an "old stock" coupler (as I refered to it as in my earlier post) designed for a 4mm cable that was installed on the boat (perhaps by mistake) that just happens to tighten down just enough on the stock cable but not enough on the other aftermarket cables... Myself, you and others have found that out already....

[Hawcer]

Steve is correct, they do have the same specs.....if the boat leaves the factory with the correct coupler and not an "old stock" coupler (as I refered to it as in my earlier post) designed for a 4mm cable that was installed on the boat (perhaps by mistake) that just happens to tighten down just enough on the stock cable but not enough on the other aftermarket cables... Myself, you and others have found that out already....

So in all reality, The new .150" coupler isn't the same specs as what was on my boat from the factory...if by chance it had some oddball spec coupler installed on it.

Heck I just got it last month from Horizon. You'd think all the leftover oddball *!***!***!***!** would have been weeded out by now.

[martin]

Put some anti seize compound on the coupling taper & thread then tighten the coupling hex, you only need a small dab on the taper & thread so as not to get any on the flex going into the coupling. The anti seize stops galling & you get the coupling much tighter without to much pressure on the wrenches, lots of boaters on this forum use anti seize.

[Hawcer]

I spent a couple hours swinging a big magnet out into the pond hoping to drag in my shaft and prop. No luck, I think I was a few feet shy of getting out far enough... but I got a bunch of new blisters on my fingers. at least I tried.
The new HD cable should be here today though.

[Hawcer]

question:
Will the thicker HD flex shaft still wind up(shrink) under load and require a gap equal to the shaft diameter between the strut and drive dog?
I made a gauge tool to set the spacing for the stock diameter shaft, I can make another thicker gauge if needed.

[Hawcer]

Well, it’s in there. Just barely enough room to fit the shaft saver in there. I did have to move and adjust the motor mount a bit to get a good alignment to the shaft.
I took the long and expensive way of upgrading to the HD flex cable. But it’s a done deal.

[MADRCER]

question:
Will the thicker HD flex shaft still wind up(shrink) under load and require a gap equal to the shaft diameter between the strut and drive dog?
I made a gauge tool to set the spacing for the stock diameter shaft, I can make another thicker gauge if needed.

Yes.

[scottyp]

I have been using the the .150 flex shaft with one of those much larger and burlier collars and have had no issues but there is no room for the prop saver ring in there. I have the HD flex shaft as well but as of yet haven't needed/used it. I have heard they are pretty loud as you have to take out the existing teflon liner to fit them in the brass stuffing tube. Can anyone verify that?

[Hawcer]

I didn’t notice it being louder, but I’ve only run the smaller cnc prop with the HD shaft so far. It is much quieter than the stock shaft was though....but it was bent. The .150 upgrade shaft was a lot quieter than stock too, but it didn’t have a chance to run it much.

[scottyp]

Good to know. By the way, if you do ever use a .150 flex shaft again, this is the coupler I use and it has worked perfect:

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=oct-ocfhe5mm15d

[scottyp]

Looks like the one you've got now actually.

[Hawcer]

My goal was to get my boat as efficient as posible on 4s. (Run times + reduced heat) before moving to 5 & 6s. It was about as good as it gets (run time,low temps, respectable top speed) with the prepped x442 prop.

Next spring, I’ll add more volts and start over again.

[scottyp]

Yeah, probably a good idea. I went to straight to 6S but it took me a couple months of working on it and adding the little upgrades between my real job and life in general. A few tines I wondered why the hell I didn't just go enjoy it on 4S. That being said, once you experience the speed of 6S you won't ever look back :-) Plus, working on them is really half the fun in the end.

[78jlyle]

Whats up fellow boaters.
About to receive my UL19 next week and got a question that I believe was asked but i didn't see an answer.( I may have missed it)
Pulling the stock liner out to run the .187 cable.. Does this create any added noise? Not that it matters much to me. I am an avid grease, clean, grease guy. :)
Just Curious.

[Hawcer]

I didn't notice any extra noise with the liner removed. but it sure seemed to have less drag on the flex shaft.
Do this:
Loosen the coupler and spin the stock shaft by hand and make a mental note on how freely it turns. Then after pulling the liner, try the same thing with the HD shaft.

Side note on HD shaft installing:
The coupler is longer and reduces the space between the coupler collet nut and the brass stuffing tube. Some have had to trim the tube when using a shaft saver collar.
I was able to get it to work by adjusting the motor mount forward and the motor up/down in the mount. Make sure the shaft lines up and slips easily in and out of the coupler with final adjustments.

[78jlyle]

I didn't notice any extra noise with the liner removed. but it sure seemed to have less drag on the flex shaft.
Do this:
Loosen the coupler and spin the stock shaft by hand and make a mental note on how freely it turns. Then after pulling the liner, try the same thing with the HD shaft.

Side note on HD shaft installing:
The coupler is longer and reduces the space between the coupler collet nut and the brass stuffing tube. Some have had to trim the tube when using a shaft saver collar.
I was able to get it to work by adjusting the motor mount forward and the motor up/down in the mount. Make sure the shaft lines up and slips easily in and out of the coupler with final adjustments.


Ya. I am a little OCD about shaft motor alignment myself.
I got not issues buzzing off a little of the brass tubing if needed.
I run a liner in my PM skater as it already has .187 shift. Im not a fan of .150 shafts when I plan on running a little more than stock power :)

Cant wait to get this little boat.....oh wait its 20 degrees outside and water be froze in no time. Guess it will give me some tweek time :(

[scottyp]

I have not used that larger upgraded shaft on mine yet as the standard OSE upgraded shaft seems to be working fine on 6S however, a couple guys on the Pro Boat UL 19 Owners page on Facebook have said it's a touch louder without the inner liner but nothing too bad apparently.