LouisB

I bought a secondhand Cloud Dancer with a 40-size Super Tigre. Due to inadvertently over-tightening the prop nut I cracked the drive washer. A search indicated that I should replace it with a new unit but it will be a battle in my neck of the woods to find a replacement part. So I removed the drive washer and cleaned it in thinners, after removing the brass cone. I then used my Dremel and partially removed some of the webs in the back as my idea is to fill the whole back with steel putty. I inverted a bolt and used the head to tamp the putty down pretty good, ensuring that it filled the cavity to maximum. While still wet I rotated the drive washer without the cone on the engine to ensure that it will fit flawlessly - see attached pics. So far it seems to work well.

earlwb

That is not a bad idea. It is worth a try to see if it'll hold up.  Yeah even here in the USA it can be a problem getting a drive washer too.
If someone has a lathe, you can make a new one from some scrap aluminum, brass or mild steel even. But your fix may last long enough to find someone with a lathe to make one.

luvtoav8

You may find that you can use a prop driver off of another brand of engine if you have an old one lying around. I recently used a SuperTigre .40 prop drive on an ASP .46 that was missing one. I just had to chuck it into my drill press and grind it a tiny bit thinner so it wouldn't rub the crankcase. The diameter of the shaft and the cone were the same.

If you have to use what you have now, be sure to wear some thick safety glasses in case it disintegrates when engine is at full speed.

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Looks good to me.

1QwkSport2.5r

If it were me, I'd throw it on a prop balancer and try to get it reasonably balanced. Probably overkill, but that's how I roll.. Haha..

LouisB

Three flights yesterday without any problems. Post flight visual inspection made and all seemed OK.

1QwkSport2.5r

Good to know that worked out for you.

LouisB

OK, herewith the latest. After a few months' flying the steel putty shows a hairline crack as well. I subsequently modified an old SC 53's drive washer and it is now working well. So the steel putty repair is not a permanent solution.