SAB Tailblades.... bolt won't fit!
03-04-2007, 12:47 PM
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SAB Tailblades.... bolt won't fit!
Ok so I bought a set of 105mm SAB carbon fiber tailblades for my X-Cell ST, but it turns out that the X-Cell's tailblade bolts won't quite go thru the brass bushing in these blades.
I pushed the bushing out of 1 of the tailblades this morning and tried it, but there's tons of slop around the bolt. I don't think that would be a good thing, so I pushed the bushing back in. Apparently the bushing's inner diameter just needs to be only slightly larger in order to accomodate the bolt (the bolt threads pass thru easily, and then it stops mid-way on the bolt).
I'm afraid any attempt to drill the bushing out just slightly larger will end up destroying it instead. Any ideas how to just slightly enlarge the bushing's inner diameter without ruining it?
A guy out at our flying field here in Houston suggested I freeze the bolt overnight and then stick the tailblade in some hot water for a few minutes (to thermally enlarge the bushing) and then stick the frozen bolt thru the bushing and let it all warm up. However, I fear that it might lock the bolt onto the bushing (such that the bolt won't be able to turn inside the bushing).
Anybody have any good ideas how to deal with this problem? I'm dying to trash the old plastic tailblades in favor of these CF blades ASAP! Thanks!
- Michael
I pushed the bushing out of 1 of the tailblades this morning and tried it, but there's tons of slop around the bolt. I don't think that would be a good thing, so I pushed the bushing back in. Apparently the bushing's inner diameter just needs to be only slightly larger in order to accomodate the bolt (the bolt threads pass thru easily, and then it stops mid-way on the bolt).
I'm afraid any attempt to drill the bushing out just slightly larger will end up destroying it instead. Any ideas how to just slightly enlarge the bushing's inner diameter without ruining it?
A guy out at our flying field here in Houston suggested I freeze the bolt overnight and then stick the tailblade in some hot water for a few minutes (to thermally enlarge the bushing) and then stick the frozen bolt thru the bushing and let it all warm up. However, I fear that it might lock the bolt onto the bushing (such that the bolt won't be able to turn inside the bushing).
Anybody have any good ideas how to deal with this problem? I'm dying to trash the old plastic tailblades in favor of these CF blades ASAP! Thanks!
- Michael
03-08-2007, 12:04 AM
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RE: SAB Tailblades.... bolt won't fit!
Well.. not being familiar with carbon tailblades... i would either suggest filing the bushings to fit your bolts or getting a smaller set of bolt's since they are really used to hold the blades in place anyway, never heard of bushing's on anyblade to speak of., i would use a bigger bolt/screw especially if they are a longer set than normal! ken
03-08-2007, 11:08 AM
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RE: SAB Tailblades.... bolt won't fit!
I don't think I'm following you... how do you file a round bushing? Do they make round files (I'm only familiar with flat files, btw)?
Smaller bolts wouldn't work as then you'd have slop in the tailblade holders. The hole in the blades has to be enlarged to match the bolt I'm thinking.
Thanks.
- Michael
Smaller bolts wouldn't work as then you'd have slop in the tailblade holders. The hole in the blades has to be enlarged to match the bolt I'm thinking.
Thanks.
- Michael
