Minimono Upgrade Drive Shaft DIY

[MiniMorris]

those stock couplers are made out of a very soft metal the set screws are junk i tossed mine never used it if you want it i will send it to you

Thanks for the offer, I will probably do a flex shaft, but if I don't, I'll pm you.

[tlandauer]

I got it, you want to up grade. I totally agree with MAMBA2200 that the soft metal is very weak, I have stripped many set screws. In a nut shell, I hate couplers! They pinch the cable and with a thin wire you have to make sure the set screws from opposite sides have to be set equally . Collets are the way for me. And I can see why you want to up grade to a flex cable.
Good luck!

[MiniMorris]

I'm still confused on how to replace the stuffing tube. How do you drill out the holders? When you take out the old tube, did the tube holder break from the boat or the s. tube? How do you make the hole bigger for the new tube?

[tlandauer]

I can't answer you intelligently since I don't have the boat, from AQ's pic. I see that there is a battery platfom on top of the holder. But I do know that when people replacing the tube, assuming that the holder is already no longer holding the tube, they heat the s. tube with a soldering iron until the epoxy at the transom exit hole starts to get soft. It is a tricky operation, too much heat you risk to damage the hull.
Also, the boat you have I assume is plastic? I have a Rio which is plastic and AQ ueses a white glue to secure the s.tube. Epoxy is not used in this case.
As far as the holder is concerned, in my case it was a wooden ( Pursuit) trangle holder with a hole in the middle for the s. tube, I used Dremal with a grinding disc to cut the top open, so the only issue I had to contend with was the epoxy at the transom exit hole.
Sorry, I am no help at all, just want to tell you the heating process.

[MAMBA2200]

It will come loose from the boat the holders will stay in place just grab and twist little at a time and it will come loose take a flat screwdriver and slowly remove the plate that covers the tube and then remove the tube

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[MiniMorris]

So with the electronics tray removed, I heat the tube, twist the stock stuffing tube until it comes loose, Correct?? Then how do you drill the out the wood tube holder between motor mount and the exit hole of the stuffing tube?

[MAMBA2200]

You dont have to heat it just twist it and i used a body reamer to make the holes larger but u need it to fit tight goin back in so little ream then test fit dont take to much but if u do just fill with epoxy to seal it back

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[tlandauer]

It will come loose from the boat the holders will stay in place just grab and twist little at a time and it will come loose take a flat screwdriver and slowly remove the plate that covers the tube and then remove the tube

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+1 on this method.
Sorry if I did cause confusion, I was relating to the removal of s. tube from a FG Hull with epoxy, it is different from the boat you are working on. Please disregard the "heating process".
Just as I thought, I caused more harm than good!

[MiniMorris]

You dont have to heat it just twist it and i used a body reamer to make the holes larger but u need it to fit tight goin back in so little ream then test fit dont take to much but if u do just fill with epoxy to seal it back

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Alrighty that makes total sense! THANK YOU!

[MAMBA2200]

Anytime

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[MiniMorris]

Well, I thought I was done with my N00by questions but I guess not.. I was wondering when you switch to the octura prop listed, do you have to switch escs to keep it cool? Im planning to make a motor cooler like the one in the pic, but worried about the esc temps. Is there any way to stick to the stock esc?

DSC01578.jpg

DSC01579.jpg

[MAMBA2200]

You dont have to change the prop but if you do you can put a seaking 35a for really cheap thats what i did

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[MiniMorris]

You dont have to change the prop but if you do you can put a seaking 35a for really cheap thats what i did

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To save... um... $8.. Would a 25a seaking work just fine too? Does the new prop improve performance by that much? I feel if im going to upgrade the esc, I should put on an even bigger prop, just to take advantage of the extra $8 I spent.

[MAMBA2200]

Go with the 35a

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[MiniMorris]

Ok.

[MAMBA2200]

I will send you one pm me your address

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[MiniMorris]

I'm going to post pics of the whole project. If anybody wants a particular shot, LMK (even though everybody on this thread has already done it.)

[MiniMorris]

I have some slop with the prop. Like the prop nut is on a silver shaft that wiggles in the stuffing tube is this normal.?

[MiniMorris]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1357687072.443487.jpg
Like this gap.

[MAMBA2200]

I used a smaller brass tube for a bushing mine was the same way till i got one size smaller and made the bushing

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[MiniMorris]

Well I just tested my boat and the pointed end prop nut was vibrating because the last inch of the flex shaft is loose, because I'm using the Teflon tube stretched over that part.

Sound right?

[MiniMorris]

What is the outside diameter of the bushing exactly. And does your prop move at all when running dry and is it bad if it moves?

[MiniMorris]

Is it bad if the prop wobbles. What damage can it cause

[tlandauer]

Accelerated wear and tear. Particularly on bigger and more powerful boats. Usually it is the other way around: out of balanced prop and/or drive train components enlarging the bushing in the stinger or strut, the looseness in turn allows more wobbles, and so on... I had a Proboat Fast Tech that had one of those steel prop from PB, it was heavy and out of balance, took only two runs to wear out the bushing, luckily I caught it before it could do more damage. It puts stress on the bracket and the transom.
Can you correct that? How bad is it? The picture doesn't tell the whole story, does the vibration get worse as you speed up the motor. Water should dampen the wobble somewhat, plastic prop is light and doesn't have that much mass as with steel prop.

[MiniMorris]

Accelerated wear and tear. Particularly on bigger and more powerful boats. Usually it is the other way around: out of balanced prop and/or drive train components enlarging the bushing in the stinger or strut, the looseness in turn allows more wobbles, and so on... I had a Proboat Fast Tech that had one of those steel prop from PB, it was heavy and out of balance, took only two runs to wear out the bushing, luckily I caught it before it could do more damage. It puts stress on the bracket and the transom.
Can you correct that? How bad is it? The picture doesn't tell the whole story, does the vibration get worse as you speed up the motor. Water should dampen the wobble somewhat, plastic prop is light and doesn't have that much mass as with steel prop.

Thank you for replying. I stretched the Teflon coating over the last inch or so where the the prop shaft leaves the stuffing tube. The tip of the prop nut moves 1/16" to 1/8" side to side. It doesn't seem to bad I will see I if it has more side to side play when it's moving or if get worse the faster I go.

[MiniMorris]

It moves side to side a little more at speed. Can I still run it?

[czegard]

I had the same problem with vibration of the shaft with my Minimono. I solved it with a smaller brass tube of 5/31 x inside the 3/16 x 0.014 (just half and inch at the end). Now I have cero vibration. Use Loctite 603.
My specs are the following and I don´t have temp problems:
stock motor + octura .098 flex wire + Octura collet + 3/16 K&S tube + Teflon + Balanced Octura prop 432+seaking 35amp+aluminum rudder (shorter)+ larger stabilizer +sharpened turn fins + prop nut

Cheers

Well I just tested my boat and the pointed end prop nut was vibrating because the last inch of the flex shaft is loose, because I'm using the Teflon tube stretched over that part.

Sound right?

[MiniMorris]

I had the same problem with vibration of the shaft with my Minimono. I solved it with a smaller brass tube of 5/31 x inside the 3/16 x 0.014 (just half and inch at the end). Now I have cero vibration. Use Loctite 603.
My specs are the following and I don´t have temp problems:
stock motor + octura .098 flex wire + Octura collet + 3/16 K&S tube + Teflon + Balanced Octura prop 432+seaking 35amp+aluminum rudder (shorter)+ larger stabilizer +sharpened turn fins + prop nut

Cheers

I used a piece of 5/32 x .014. Is this right because I still have slop between prop shaft and inside of stuffing tube

[czegard]

I used a piece of 5/32 x .014. Is this right because I still have slop between prop shaft and inside of stuffing tube

Are you using the Octura 0.098 flex wire?

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[MiniMorris]

Yes, the tip moves about 1/16 to 1/8 side-side/up-down