glydrjocky

I just realized that you most likely have the Z style head with the flybar on top of the main rotor. The ZX had the flybar below the main rotor and this may have raised the height of the blades to help prevent boom strikes. The new blade grips with the thrust bearing are only going to work with the newer style ZX/ZXX head assembly.

Do you have the enclosed tail rotor case with the blades on the left side or do you have the newer open tail with the pulley visible and the blades on the right? The old Z tail had a wire traveling through the center of the drive shaft and was actuated by a bell crank from the opposite side. I personally like the open ZX style tail. There was no through wire just an external bell crank that moved the pitch slider bearing. Far superior system in my opinion. I had very good actuation on mine, but it does take patience. Its best to disconnect the individual components and feel for any binding in the system before connecting the whole thing. Take the blade grips apart and lube the bearings. Turn the thrust bearings between your fingers and feel for notches or roughness. The tail rotor main shaft bearings can wear quickly. Be sure they are smooth and free from play as well. I remember spending alot of time replacing tail rotor shafts and bearings. The tail shaft if relatively soft and bends like butta in a crash. The slightest bend in the shaft will set up a high freq vibration that just plays havoc with the boom and tail assembly. I dont think the Z originaly came with tail boom supports from the frame to the horizontal fin but they are well worth it. The Z tail boom may also be shorter which in turn requires a shorter belt than the ZX. You have to be careful that you are getting the right parts because the improvement progression was constant through the life of the Shuttle.