BCPP Blade Grip mod

[futura]

OK, here goes....

broken eflite bell hiller spindle....
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_Broken_Bell_spendle.jpg
We will replace the original plastic with a steel bolt. dubro 3mm X 10mm socket head cap screw (#2123).

remove the brass bushing using the 3mm bolt to push it out...
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_removing_bushing.jpg

The hardest part.....honing out the brass bushing so the 3mm screw fits inside (threads are more than 3mm). This took some patience and work but a variable speed dremmel helps. keep testing the bolt fit. It needs to fit rather tight and initially will require screwing it into the bushing but it should be finger tight screwing...put the bit into the bushing first and then start the bit spinning. move the bushing so the bit hones out the inside evenly.
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_hown_out_bushing.jpg

initially drill out (2mm) the blade grip...if you go 3mm outright, you will have trouble getting the hole centered.
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_initial_drilling.jpg

Drill out the blade grip to 3mm but don't get to ambitious. drill just though. if you make it clean you risk making the hole too big...
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_3mm_drillout.jpg

assemble the bushing, with one head damp. shim for an outside washer...
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_Bushing_and_bolt2.jpg

push the bolt/bushing into the bell arm and use a step washer on the inside (sounded good to me) and screw the bolt into the hole drilled into the blade grip.
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_one_done.jpg

If one grip is not broken, cut off the original plastic spendle...
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_cut_off_spendle.jpg

and repeat as with the first one

here is both sides complete..one was not exactly drilled straight through the grip but.....didn't seem to matter in the end....having both perfect would make me feel better. :rolleyes:
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_Both_sides.jpg

Apply blade grips as you normally would following rules for "sticky collective"...eg. properly place step washers. I'm using two shims on the inside...between grip and hub/rubber ring.
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_Complete.jpg

put everything back together....
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/600_together_again.jpg

I had to get this done tonight so....crappy test vid but if you fly inside, you know I'm working the cyclic pretty good... Cats and all....and more importantly, the collective was butter smooth. I think the mod will work well....pending first crash test.... :shock:
http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/STA71875_output.wmv

[rrlc]

Thanks for the tip...I have plenty of those broken blade grips laying around.

[seume]

This works great. i used the two self tapping srews that come with the blade grips,then used the broken off in the middle.

[seume]

This works great. i used the two self tapping srews that come with the blade grips,then used the broken off in the middle.

[Heli_harry]

I had thought about doing this when I broke a Grip a while back.

Well Monday my bird feeder jumped out of the ground and smacked my Heli down and broke both the Grips. Saw this post and it inspired me to save $10.00 :)

Thank you!

[futura]

glad I could help. My heli is flying very well with this mod and I've seen no problems yet. Smooth operation. I may go to the gym again tonight...if so, I'll get another better lit video. :oops:

[futura]

Newest Video...

This is Brushless main and tail.

http://www.cindy4citycouncil.com/images/STA71892_output.wmv

[MrR]

I did this mod with 6-32x3/8 machine screws with the flat bottoms so they can accept a nut which I obviously didn't use.

The screws were a bit too big for the bushings though so I could not use them and there's minimal play in the bell arm but I'm a little concerned about the threads rubbing on the plastic over time.

I was able to gradually drill out the grip so that when I was just able to get the screw going I left it and they screwed in nice and tight but not much thread in there.

Also, one of the shims that go between the bell arm and the grip went flying who knows where so its plastic to plastic on both sides now.

I gave it a test flight and it was suprisingly smooth. I wanna say even a little smoother than before.

Anybody care to give me some feedback on my mod to the mod posted here? I'm basicly going to use this setup for now till new parts arrive but I'd like to know the consequences of not using the bushings and shims.

Thanks