Strut and Rudder Question....

[huminski]

Would this setup work well on the BJ26, or would I be better off with a setup like Fullers with the prop set further back? I can get the setup above from another place online since this one is out of stock here and I've emailed OSE for about 2 weeks now with no response on ETA.... would be about 1/2 the price of the fullers all said and done....

Not trying to start any trouble with OSE, but an email reply would have been nice....

Here's the link:

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=ose-80085

Thoughts???

[LiPo Power]

The one from the link will work on BJ-26 like no other!!!!!
Wicked hardware.....
Ask DOBY, he had one before and was in love with it......
Robert

[v-spec]

Go for it I've used both. I liked the look of the fullers but I think the one in the link ran a little better. The water pickup on the fullers is horrible too.

[huminski]

Any chance this is the same one from the original link? Sure looks like it, except for that the prop strut is installed backwards lol.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270623298009&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

[LiPo Power]

Looks very close to the one Steve has here on OSE. The one from e-bay has the marked part on the picture reversed, not sure why...

[huminski]

Yeah I saw that also, probably just whoever put the one together for the photo was clueless....

The seller claims that the prop bushing is 3.9mm, or 5.9mm without the bushing installed. Seems like odd sizes, neither of which come out to 3/16" or 1/8" for that matter..... For $25 shipped, I ordered it anyway, and I'll hope for the best. Worst case perhaps I can find a 3/16" bushing that will fit, or drill out the strut for a new bearing in my drill press if required.

I'll report back when I get it and let you know how it is.

[syncronized77]

Hey Huminski,

Did you get a chance to install the eBay strut/rudder jobber?

[huminski]

Yeah it arrived a couple weeks ago, was going on a short trip camping Labor Day weekend so I hacked together a crude laminated ply standoff and mounted it up using wood screws for the weekend.

The bushing is useless, no idea where you would get a 3.9mm prop shaft or flex, I could not find one anywhere. And with the bushing out, at 5.9mm, the strut tube is way too wide for a 3/16" shaft.

So what I did was carefully drill out the included 3.9mm bushings to 3/16" on a drill press, while installed in the strut. This worked well, but I still plan to find another 3/16" bushing (maybe from an SV27, looks like it might work) and replace them.

Also, the rudder was missing one of the screws that held it to the bracket when it arrived. Seller did not seem to care, but for the price I paid neither did I really.

So I got it mounted up that Friday and took it to the lake camping.

Handling is 100 times better now, I can whip around at 50-75% throttle easily and it's nice and solid, even with the stock turn fins removed.

So I am happy with the purchase, but be aware you will have to either drill out the bushings that come with this unit, or find new ones, because it's an oddball size.

I used a Hughey .150 flex with a welded 3/16" prop shaft, octura 642, and two 2S 5000mah lipos for the test run. I am extremely happy with the boat now. Over this past weekend I removed the new rudder / strut, and completely refinished the transom to fill in all of the stock holes for the original strut / fins / etc. Still working on that, should be able to paint it by this weekend and then put it together properly with stainless thru-bolted hardware.

In all, the total cost INCLUDING the rudder / strut, flex, prop drive dog, and a brand new Octura 642 was still under $60. I would definitely do it again.

[huminski]

ps - I'll get some photos up later today or tonight, also have a video of the boat running the new rudder although I still manage to flip it over on the wake..... haha.

[syncronized77]

Awesome!! Ok but just to clarify, I guess the holes don't match up with the stock holes on the transom? With my limited experience....I hate drilling into hulls All I have is a dremel! LOL

I also found the following:

3/16 Rudder/Strut system

[WrknItUp]

I like the Nitro SS hardware. Everything is just bolt on seal up and ride. You can get the complete setup for around 60 65 shipped from horizon hobby.

[syncronized77]

Good point wrknitup....

huminski,

can this strut/rudder combo be used with the stock running gear from the BJ26?

[huminski]

Here is the current state of the boat.

I had played around with flush mounting the assembly to the hull, so I cut back the stuffing tube about 1/2" to clear the strut. I then decided to go with the setback like I originally planned, which is why there is so much flex cable exposed. I am using GP large silicone fuel tubing on both ends of the stuffing tube to seal it up which works well to keep the water out and the grease in.

I also made two water pickups from 1/8" brass tube, one feeds the esc and exits out the factory water exit on the port side, the other feeds the motor and exits out the stbd side.

The water pickup in this rudder is pitiful when it's working, and is easily clogged by grass, dirt, etc. So I just leave it open and admire the little stream of water that comes from it at high speed.

The boat handles like a dream now, I can do wide full throttle circuits on 4S, and if I pull back to about 75% throttle in the turns I can make the turns quite tight. It will still slide the rear end out if you're not careful, but this is usually only at full throttle.

I was able to easily drill out this prop strut to 1/4" (0.250") and built a brass prop busing from a section of 7/32" tube inside a section of 1/4" tube. Working well so far, but I am going to look for a better 3/16"id / 1/4"od bushing to use.

Here are the photos. The transom is unfinished because I wanted to do test runs and finalize the setup before I made it pretty. Now that I'm sure I'm done drilling holes I'll put on one more layer of bondo, sand, and then paint it up nice.