Strut bushings

[MadProps]

I have a genesis and it has always leaked water, I addressed all the transom hardware bolts etc but the water comes up the flex shaft, I use shrink tubing over the stuffing tube to strut joint and I found if I use a lot of grease it slows it down considerably, "unless" its a long run then it accumulates too much water again as it pushes out the grease.

frustrated today I was inspecting the strut and found some play in the strut bushings....I replaced them and the water shaft intrusion has been cut down dramatically

how often should I expect to replace strut bushings?


edit: while I have you here whats the purpose of the resistors being installed to stop the sparking when connecting 6s or more batteries to the ESC....is this causing any damage to the ESC? or is this just a geeky mod we can do

thanks for looking

[ray schrauwen]

Converting to speedmaster drilled brass bushings will last longer. I would say depending on how much you run, every season or more for lead Teflon. If they are Chinese lead Teflon then you might get a few runs between bushing changes, they are crap in most cases.

If the lead Teflon is from H&M Germany, it will last as long as the speedmaster.

[ray schrauwen]

The last question will get answers that vary between each person. For some it's safety. Over 6s people have burnt off the ends of their fingers connecting Batts.

[MadProps]

ok thanks I havent gone over 6s so I havent experienced that pleasure but clearly obvious now

and I run everyday I live on a river so that would explain the bushing wear ...also clearly obvious now
Ive upgraded everything else so I will also try that drilled bushing, Ive seen them on the OSE site thanks

[Prodrvr]

If your connectors spark whenever you plug them in, the connectors start getting pitted from the arcing and that will lead to connectivity problems and higher resistance. Use either anti spark connectors or make an anti spark jumper wire yourself.

[fweasel]

The bushing wear has many contributing factors. All is takes is a single run on an unbalanced prop to wear one significantly.

[MadProps]

The bushing wear has many contributing factors. All is takes is a single run on an unbalanced prop to wear one significantly.

thanks good to know, my props are balanced, but in my case it is excessive usage.

[CraigP]

If your connectors spark whenever you plug them in, the connectors start getting pitted from the arcing and that will lead to connectivity problems and higher resistance. Use either anti spark connectors or make an anti spark jumper wire yourself.

I wish more people would listen to this advice! Not only do you pit your connectors, you also stress the dielectrics in the capacitors badly, causing them to eventually fail. I personally use a jumper wire with a 50 ohm resistor, alligator clips on the ends... ALWAYS pre-charge large, electrolytic capacitors, Electronics 101....

[CraigP]

I have a genesis and it has always leaked water, I addressed all the transom hardware bolts etc but the water comes up the flex shaft, I use shrink tubing over the stuffing tube to strut joint and I found if I use a lot of grease it slows it down considerably, "unless" its a long run then it accumulates too much water again as it pushes out the grease.

frustrated today I was inspecting the strut and found some play in the strut bushings....I replaced them and the water shaft intrusion has been cut down dramatically

how often should I expect to replace strut bushings?


edit: while I have you here whats the purpose of the resistors being installed to stop the sparking when connecting 6s or more batteries to the ESC....is this causing any damage to the ESC? or is this just a geeky mod we can do

thanks for looking

All bushings need grease to take up the tolerance, or the bushing would run with too much friction. Grease the Bushings then check the side play, I bet they are much tighter. If it feels real loose after you bring it in, you may have to re-grease. Many use that as a sign their grease is low in the stuffing tube.

[rol243]

i used to use lead teflon bearings that were approx 1/4 inch in length and shaft fee play developed rather quickly unti a mate said to try the 1/2 inch long lead teflon bearings / bushings and these lasted alot longer , only used oil no grease as i was sick of the greasey mess coming out at the motor end of log. i have never tried the brass sleeve bushings but they do seem to be a better option than the old style teflon coated lead bush.

[Fluid]

I've used both lead/Teflon and SpeedMaster bushings for years and prefer the latter for most uses. Mine last a long time even with many race heats per year. I do use a quality 70W synthetic gear oil with EP additive - costs about $10 for a quart and has lasted me 12 years....so far.

If water is running up the cable, put a 1/2" piece of silicon tubing over the inside end of the stuffing tube so that it just bearly touches the cable. This will stop most/all of the water intrusion. Water in an FE hull is never a good idea and is preventable.


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[CraigP]

I do like the design and concept behind the floating bushing. My problem is I run a sealed strut, with a U-cup seal on the back side, which keeps grease in and water out. So I need a static or a set bearing/bushing. I have the bushings in there now, 3 of them, with about 5/16" in between them. I pack each section with Proboat Blue, then add some 50wt oil to bring down the viscosity of the Proboat lube, which is thick! This has brought my shaft maintenance down to every 15-20 runs, and since getting into that shaft is my least favorite FE chore, this pleases me!

I checked into roller bearings and the rpm's of FE boats is beyond their specifications. The small ones are only about 12,000rpm rated.

[kfxguy]

I do like the design and concept behind the floating bushing. My problem is I run a sealed strut, with a U-cup seal on the back side, which keeps grease in and water out. So I need a static or a set bearing/bushing. I have the bushings in there now, 3 of them, with about 5/16" in between them. I pack each section with Proboat Blue, then add some 50wt oil to bring down the viscosity of the Proboat lube, which is thick! This has brought my shaft maintenance down to every 15-20 runs, and since getting into that shaft is my least favorite FE chore, this pleases me!

I checked into roller bearings and the rpm's of FE boats is beyond their specifications. The small ones are only about 12,000rpm rated.

Hey buddy, I run sealed roller in all my struts. The ones I run are rated for 60k rpm. The strut has to be machined in a lathe and a snap ring groove machined. I stack 6 bearings together. I have some genesis struts on hand if your interested in me setting one up for you. It keeps the water out too. If your interested just pm me.

[CraigP]

Hey buddy, I run sealed roller in all my struts. The ones I run are rated for 60k rpm. The strut has to be machined in a lathe and a snap ring groove machined. I stack 6 bearings together. I have some genesis struts on hand if your interested in me setting one up for you. It keeps the water out too. If your interested just pm me.

Are those Boca bearings? Do you have a P/N I could look up? Wondering how I missed those... Travis, what about unsealed bearings and let the lubrication flow thru the bearing stack, then let the lip seal stop the water and keep the grease in? My concern is the life of the bearing running as fast as we do and relying on factory grease. Are you getting long run time on those? Maybe I'm making it too hard, but it is working well. As long as those Bushings have good lube, I'm not seeing any appreciable wear.

[kfxguy]

Are those Boca bearings? Do you have a P/N I could look up? Wondering how I missed those... Travis, what about unsealed bearings and let the lubrication flow thru the bearing stack, then let the lip seal stop the water and keep the grease in? My concern is the life of the bearing running as fast as we do and relying on factory grease. Are you getting long run time on those? Maybe I'm making it too hard, but it is working well. As long as those Bushings have good lube, I'm not seeing any appreciable wear.

I do use boca or fast eddy sometimes. Whoever has a better deal. I've been using this setup for a couple years now in all my boats and all my customer builds. I've had one bearing come apart when I first started doing it. My fault. You have you chuck the flex up in a drill and spin it while having 400 grit sandpaper (crocus cloth recommended) with a little Wd40 on the paper. Move it up and down the stub and check the bearing fitment from time to time. The shaft needs to slide into the bearings but have a good fit. Think about the fact that the flex shrinks and grows so if you don't allow the slip fit for that, it will bust the bearings. I use seal on all of them. They seem to have a very long life like that. When they need changing they are not hard to change.

You could pop the seals out of all of the bearings and leave the outer seal on the outer bearing if you want to. I thought about it but I also realize that even tho not much water gets in with this setup, some will shill find its way in and get to the bearings. How will you get he moisture back out? So for now I just leave the seals on as it's been working for me that way. You do have to drill the strut in a lathe or you will not be able to drill it straight enough in a drill press or by hand. I also machine a snap ring groove as extra insurance on top of the blue loctite I use. Not to many people do this except for me because it's kinda involved to do it. I feel it's worth it because it eliminates slack, wear and greatly decreases water intrusion. The only boat I have right now that doesn't have this done is my sport Rivercat. Why? I was pressed for time trying to get it ready for its maiden run. I will be adding the bearings to it once I get it dialed in and base lined. Mark the strut. Mod it for bearings and then run it again to see if it actually goes faster. When I do, I'll start a thread with results. I'm honestly not sure it helps any, I kinda doubt it does but it keeps it nice an dry.