Retaining Pin Replacement

[BlizzardBoy]

This is taken out of a WF post of mine. I needed to replace the main shaft, and the retaining pin was damaged:

It was seriously bent (imagine a "S" shape). I tried my best to straighten it out by crushing it in the pliars. They did an alright job, but it's not perfect. I figure that I should just replace it (a machine only moves as fast as the slowest part, and is as strong as the weakest part)

I was thinking about what I read earlier where one of you guys uses piano wire as a replacement. Well, I don't have that lying around the house. What about paper clips? If I cut one up into the right length, would that work? Or is a paper clip too small (diameter), or not strong enough for the job? I don't know, and that's why I'm asking.

I would just go to the lhs and buy them, but they don't have any, and I'd be out of the game for an extra week waiting for the replacement pin(s) to come in.

Any suggestions of things lying around the house that I could safely use for the pin? What would you do?

Thanks,

-- Zan

[orlbuzz]

Blizzard Boy,

Paper clips come in different sizes/diameters! Paper clips have been used with success by many, including me. I like them better, in fact. The last one I used after drilling out the hole in the mainshaft to accept it with a tight fit. Often the hole will be elongated from the looseness of the factory pin/mainshaft. I also had to enlarge the inner head holes just a tad. The advantage I find is that it takes out all that slop (looseness) that the factory pin has in the mainshaft. I just put my heli into a pine tree and need to take it apart, so we'll see how it held up, lol. I think the blades got the worst of it.

orlbuzz

[BlizzardBoy]

Well if you havn't had any problems with it holding together, I'll give it a shot. I'm just worried about it breaking while in flights, and the rotors lifting off the heli (actually, that'd be a lot of fun to watch, if it weren't your heli).

Thanks!

-- Zan

[orlbuzz]

Blizzard Boy,

I just finished rebuilding my heli, and the 'paper clip" retainer pin had bent slightly to the common "s" shape. It had not broken with a direct strike to a pine tree, lol, and it still pulled out with difficulty, ie. it still had a tight fit.

Just a hint, don't cut it until you get it in. Let it protrude out the opposite side, and then cut it off with diagonal pliers. The body of the paper clip will help you twist it in if needed. You could also use vise-grip needle nose pliers.

orlbuzz