Cool
I am going through the process of sharpening the 36x55 grim prop. Had i done a little more homework prior to ordering i would have seen that the Octura is the same prop at half the price. But oh well, i'm happy to have it now. I am having a little trouble balancing the prop reliably. I have sharpened and balanced it as good as my Top Flight balancer will allow in its current state. In a nutshell, i think the prop is balanced better than the balancing shaft and rubber grommets that hold the prop. I polished one magnet with 220, then 400, then 600 grit sandpaper. Then i tried to balance the shaft. It's pretty tough to do that though. Even with a polished magnet and oil on the magnet where the rod touches, it still has a tendency to "stick" a little bit instead of freely turning. I've marked the high side and tried using 600 grit sandpaper to lightly sand the low side, but i'm beginning to wonder if the shaft may be slightly bent. I dont think i have any glass around the house on which i can roll the shaft. As i say this i look at a picture of my wife from our wedding day that is on my desk, and VOILA, i can use picture frame glass to check and see how true the shaft is to straight.

I'll keep checking on the prop until i feel pretty confident that i have it balanced to a high degree of precision. But once it's balanced, i'm still not confident in the bushing in the strut. Is there anyway to buy a stock size of brass tubing that will fit in the stut and act as a bushing, or do i need to just plan on ordering one now along with a new drive shaft from Toyotatruckin'??? (toyota, even though you have a vested interest in the answer, i'd still appreciate your thoughts!)