Prop washers?

[BHChieftain]

I'm using a smaller prop on my setup, and while the prop fits on the shaft, there is about 1/4 inch space between the back of the prop and the prop nut. What's the best way to fill this gap? A bunch of washers? A piece of brass tubing?

-Chief

[m4a1usr]

Tubing, washer both will work. DO NOT use a piece of silicone tubing. Why? The prop can move back off the dog and then not be engaged with it. It will free spin. Been there done that. I'm sure someone has probably ran theirs with a soft or compressionable piece of something with no problems but I ended up with a boat stuck out 300 yards and had no rescue gear. Theres lessons to be learned and theres mistakes never meant to be repeated. Choose your side.

John

[BHChieftain]

Tubing, washer both will work. DO NOT use a piece of silicone tubing. Why? The prop can move back off the dog and then not be engaged with it. It will free spin. Been there done that. I'm sure someone has probably ran theirs with a soft or compressionable piece of something with no problems but I ended up with a boat stuck out 300 yards and had no rescue gear. Theres lessons to be learned and theres mistakes never meant to be repeated. Choose your side.

John

I'm glad you mentioned that as that was another option rolling around in my head...


-Chief

[Steven Vaccaro]

I use a piece of water/silicon tuning between it and the nut. I use a piece long enough that the silicon compresses when the nut is tightened.

[Fluid]

Actually a piece of silicon tubing between prop and nut has been a common practice in FE and nitro for decades. When your prop hits something it will usually slip back, compress the tubing and not be badly damaged. I have never heard of M4A1usr's problem before, but of course anything can happen.

As long as the silicon tubing is at least slightly compressed it has worked fine for hundreds of R/C boaters...at least 99% of the time. Heck, back when 25 mph was a fast FE boat all we used was a piece of silicon tubing - no prop nut! That worked great too, but today's speeds would pull the prop off the shaft when slowing rapidly.

There is nothing wrong with using brass tubing, and if you are worried then forgo the silicon for brass.


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[BHChieftain]

Thanks Fluid

-Chief

[bigwaveohs]

I use the setup with a piece of tubing and a prop nut on my P-spec OPC. Works great.

[BHChieftain]

I found a small rubber grommet at the hardware store- I'll give that a go,

-Chief