First down!

[caseyjholmes]

First down! and I'm not talking football!
First time crashing a 90!

Man I flew 2 bitchen tanks through it this morning crazy 3D. Thought I might have seen a vibe on the end of the second tank. Third tank had a buddy come spot with me to see if anything was going on. Looked perfect. We were just saying how perfect it was flying when I stuffed it for no reason just hovering. argg. I guess I needed to rebuild to put those rocket links, metal clutch block and a few other upgrades on anyways. Gonna try some white 690 blades this time too for more visibility. When I hit, the blade knicked the dirt first and then the boom whipped out and hit next. Got lucky so far no visible damage to the engine or pipe. Guess I should be happy all I did was nick the blade instead of piling it into a little ball.

[CeeveeSiN]

dont feel bad I destroyed mine on my very first flight.. ( my first) local Pro has more flights on mine than I do he tuned it for me. and handed it over nice and fast and working perfectly..

I have no excuse just went the wrong way and didnt react..

destroyed mine 450$ rebuild.
brand new everything wadded up.

just feels like i took money and burned it in my hand.

[caseyjholmes]

just feels like i took money and burned it in my hand.

Gotta respect the heli gods. They get you when you least expect them.
I suppose it was about time I pay my dues. My 700 was too clean for too long. No scratches. Escaped doom once when I found one tail control rod guide left after a flight but fixed that and kept flying. Was just getting ready to try some new parts on it and we were saying how perfect it was working.. you know what happens next! Don't even have to be doing any tricks.. the heli gods shoot it down

Freakin' dirt and oil everywhere!

[caseyjholmes]

OK guys,
bumped into a problem during tear down I'm hoping someone can help with.

The screws are stripping out! All the ones around the motor that were heated and cooled, heated and cooled. The loctite froze up and now the screws stripped out upon removal attempt #1.

So I slotted the screws for removal attempt #2 with a flat head. Still could not get them out.
I cannot remove the bottom plate or motor mount to pull out my engine. The screws are slotted and now stripped the slots since they wouldn't turn.

How should I go about getting them screws out now?

I knew I should have done a screw/washer upgrade when I built it..

Also,
Main shaft bearings are way notchy. No surprises there. Thrust upgrade time.

[miglis]

i am almost in the same situation except from the crash part but waiting to happen.
clutch bearing block screws and main bearing block screws are all stripped, i even have purchased the kasama bearing blocks and cant fit them!
only option i got is crash and buy a new kit with aftermarket screws and washers!

[caseyjholmes]

I've seen some screw removing tools before at the hardware store.
I'll ask them and the LHS and see what they think. There is a bunch of old smart dudes at my local Ace hardware who always have all the right answers when it comes to hardware questions. I think they make a tool where you drill the screw out some, hammer the tool in the hole and then you can use the tool to pull the screw out.

Either that or carefully grind the screw head off with a dremel disk without touching the frame, but that could get messy. Maybe I just need a giant flat head screwdriver.

Man she will be cherry and easy to work on though when all back together with the upgrades and new screws! Think positive!

[cbdane]

I think that the only viable approach is to cut slots with the Dremel and carefully back them out with a flat blade screwdriver. You'll need a wide blade driver with fresh sharp edges with good pressure. Support the heli on its side. Take care since you only get one shot at it before you strip out the slot.

I did this during my first disassembly (to remove the engine). The good news is that when I reassembled it, I used only a very small amount of lock-tite on the last couple of mm's of the screw tip. I have had zero (and I mean zero) problems removing the screws with my Wiha hex drivers everytime since (to install G-Force adjustable blocks and engine mount, etc.). I ordered the Liron washers but never used them since I don't like how far they stick out. The key is to keep lock-tite away from the gap between the screw and the CF.

I'm prepared for the flames but, properly installed, the stock screws will give you no problem. I use them throughout both of my 700's.

[caseyjholmes]

Yeah I wasn't having any problem with them either at first. Even rebuilding the tail section a few times and undoing the screws. When I came to the engine mount screws, different story though.

I did try the slot trick as stated above but no go. I tried thin slots and thick slots and none of my screwdrivers worked well. I think I may still have another option or two. Got my fingers crossed. Once I remove these screws I won't have to deal with it again. I wonder if the helidirect washers are any thinner as far as stack height. Anyone have any pics of the liron hardware height?

[ldzielak]

Helidirect washers stick out prety far too, your still stuck using the stock ones on the main bearing blocks. Helidirect sells washers with screws, but they are only 8mm long and covered in oil (can you say pain in the ass to clean 40 screws!!) Liron sells hit kit with 10mm stainless. I used the Helidirect washers and then purchased 10mm screws since Liron didn't have the screws in stock and Helidirect also had ceramic bearings that I needed. Wanted to support Liron, but maybe next time.

[JJ101]

Originally Posted by caseyjholmes

Yeah I wasn't having any problem with them either at first. Even rebuilding the tail section a few times and undoing the screws. When I came to the engine mount screws, different story though.

I did try the slot trick as stated above but no go. I tried thin slots and thick slots and none of my screwdrivers worked well. I think I may still have another option or two. Got my fingers crossed. Once I remove these screws I won't have to deal with it again. I wonder if the helidirect washers are any thinner as far as stack height. Anyone have any pics of the liron hardware height?

I'm prolly a little too late to help out here, but the solution is to take a hot soldering iron and heat the screw up so the lock-tite becomes unbonded - this works extremely well because of the ease to concentrate the heat on the head of the screw, which then radiates down to the threads -
(this trick works so well, it should be a "sticky" somewhere) -






JJ

[caseyjholmes]

I figured I would try and unscrew them while they were still hot from the dremeling but maybe I didn't heat them up enough. At any rate, too late now. lol It might be a few before I get to it but I'll carefully dremel the heads off it if I have to, to save the rest of the frame pieces.

Might still get lucky at the hardware store or LHS. I'll report what I find. I can't get them out with the normal tools I have here unless I chance grinding the heads off.

[carlos]

Originally Posted by caseyjholmes

The screws are stripping out! All the ones around the motor that were heated and cooled, heated and cooled. The loctite froze up and now the screws stripped out upon removal attempt #1.

You need to remove them while they are still hot.

edit no matter it's to late the damage is done

[JJ101]

Originally Posted by carlos

You need to remove them while they are still hot.

edit no matter it's to late the damage is done

+1

Originally Posted by JJ101

the solution is to take a hot soldering iron and heat the screw up so the lock-tite becomes unbonded - this works extremely well because of the ease to concentrate the heat on the head of the screw, which then radiates down to the threads -
(this trick works so well, it should be a "sticky" somewhere) -
JJ

[caseyjholmes]

You guys need to read back. I heated the screws with the dremel by making the slot when I tried to pull them out. Heat isn't going to do it. Grinding a slot in the screw heats it up very hot and we immediately put a screwdriver to it to try and back it out. Did not work. Nor does a soldering iron.

I had a few screws stuck in the motor mount still that I did not try to slot. I brought them down to my local heli only shop to see if anyone there could get one of the screws out that I have not touched. They dremeled it and stuck a big old flathead in and couldn't get it out. Even after heating it up.

I did not use tons of loctite. Just a tiny drop on most screws. All my other screws came out just fine, no probs. Including the main shaft bearing block screws. Came right out. Just the ones in the engine mount are stuck. I'm wondering if they took a good shock from the crash and froze up. Either way, there is only three screws that are stuck total. Two on the bottom plate to the engine mount and one for the sideframe to the engine mount. I think my only/easiest/cheapest solution is to grind the heads off of them with a dremel disk and be done with it.

They also tried hitting the slot in the screw on one side with a hammer and chisel to get it to start turning (while it was hot) and nada. Never seen such a tough screw to remove.

[hybridheli]

If you want to get those screws out, I will recommend a screw gun or power drill. You need a FIRM sudden torque on it, something you CANNOT do by hand. Be sure the hex driver is the flat kind (not contoured/rounded) and seated TIGHTLY. If you dremmeled slots in the stripped screws, be sure the slots are nice and sharp and deep. Then use a power drill with flat head screw driver else you are just wasting your time.

[caseyjholmes]

Originally Posted by hybridheli

If you want to get those screws out, I will recommend a screw gun or power drill. You need a FIRM sudden torque on it, something you CANNOT do by hand. Be sure the hex driver is the flat kind (not contoured/rounded) and seated TIGHTLY. If you dremmeled slots in the stripped screws, be sure the slots are nice and sharp and deep. Then use a power drill with flat head screw driver else you are just wasting your time.

You got it. That was the ticket. I was even able to manage it by myself with a gash in my finger from another heli.
I used my 18V Skill drill but couldn't get it for some reason. Odd! A full size drill didn't work right.

Then used my lithium skill hand drill. That thing has some serious torque! I didn't want to put heat near my pump so I heated the screw up by grinding it with a dremel some more. Then shoved the tiny lithium skill drill in the slot and fired away! Worked for one screw! I can't believe how strong this little screw driver is!

Would not work for the other screw though, but your tricked helped!
I went ahead and ground the head off the second screw.
Now I can remove my engine! The last screw will fall once I strip the frames!
Damn that was a major pain. I didn't really have 250 screw problems but I don't like these here 700 screws very much. Got a mark or two on the carbon frames but can't complain cause They're not broken! haha







This one had to grind the head off the screw, but finally got the bottom plate off and both screws out of the engine mount. Now I can remove/clean/store my motor for when she is ready again.




Never again! Time for a nice screw kit and a makeover and polishing.

[N0FEAR]

Originally Posted by caseyjholmes

You got it. That was the ticket. I was even able to manage it by myself with a gash in my finger from another heli.
I used my 18V Skill drill but couldn't get it for some reason. Odd! A full size drill didn't work right.

Then used my lithium skill hand drill. That thing has some serious torque! I didn't want to put heat near my pump so I heated the screw up by grinding it with a dremel some more. Then shoved the tiny lithium skill drill in the slot and fired away! Worked for one screw! I can't believe how strong this little screw driver is!

Would not work for the other screw though, but your tricked helped!
I went ahead and ground the head off the second screw.
Now I can remove my engine! The last screw will fall once I strip the frames!
Damn that was a major pain. I didn't really have 250 screw problems but I don't like these here 700 screws very much. Got a mark or two on the carbon frames but can't complain cause They're not broken! haha







This one had to grind the head off the screw, but finally got the bottom plate off and both screws out of the engine mount. Now I can remove/clean/store my motor for when she is ready again.




Never again! Time for a nice screw kit and a makeover and polishing.

Oh yeah, those bolts on the under side of the bottom frame plate are a pita to get out.
I had to drill both out as groove cutting method didn't work too well.

[JJ101]

If you guys heat em up good with a 200w soldering iron, they'll come out without all the hassle -





JJ

[CeeveeSiN]

just got my shoulderwasher and new bolts kit from Rons HeliProz today very impressed.

hopefully rest of my crap gets here Saturday.

[JWatson]

It might be a little late, but in addition to the soldering iron, make sure that you are using a high quality hex wrench set, and if you feel it start to strip, stop,Then "Tighten" the screw to break the Loctite. There is usually more "Hex" Left in the tightening Direction, thus more bite


I build all of my helicopters using 262 "Red" Loctite for all general assembly, and all it usually takes is a quick tightening of the screw to break the Loctite bond, and it stays together! Until I want it apart.

That is a tip I learned early on as an Aircraft Mechanic, and it works well on models too!

Hope that helps someone...

Jarrett