Ireland PPG

Hi, anyone know where I might source one of these? . . It's the axle on the large pulley (the one the prop is bolted to) from my Casteluccio Mark 1 (solo 210 engine). It's one of these ones with the axle off center, so the belt tension can be adjusted by turning the shaft.


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Whats the problem with the one you have Paddy?
Dean

Hi Dean,
It split across the middle of it! Lucky it didn't shear off altogether I suppose . . . Imagine a prop suddenly coming loose at cruise speed . . . . Embarassing . .

If its a solo 210 same as the adventure machine, Gerry Donnelly's your man, he has his machine motor almost completely rebuilt, I will get his number from Lance or you could try sending him a pm, hes The Footer on here, not sure if hes logged on much.
Dean

I think the tensioner system is different on the Adventure machines- only the engine is common.
From memory, the tensioning on the Adventure system is done by a series of shims- difficult to get right, and involved 'working' the belt onto the pulleys. Harder to adjust/work at- but in a way- beautifully simple.

Wouldn't go back to a belt drive machine now that i'm used to the clutch.

GD

Thanks Dean & Gordon,
Gave me an idea there! Maybe I could source a clutch that could be made to fit instead of the belt reduction drive, while I have it taken apart anyway . . . .

Cheers P

Paddy- Remember the belt acts as a drive and speed reducer. I'm sure it would be difficult to get a clutch/reduction gearbox to suit the exact space envelope you have available. The right reduction ratio is also critical if your prop is to work efficiently. Most reduction gearboxes on machines such as PAP and HE are custom made to suit the exact requirements.
I think the best option would be to source the tensioner part from the Fly dealer.

GD

This dude knows how its done...cheap too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCy_L4bx7ow

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Just got someone to machine that part for me .. .. .. for 150 Euro!

Then found it here: http://u-turnusa.com/parts-accessories/ for $55 (usd)

Rip-Off

Absolutely not a rip off
€150.00 is a fair price for a job like that, theres a huge difference between doing a one off job and batch work, if you were to ask him to make two of those, the second may have only cost half the cost of the first one.
The set up time for an eccentric job like this is where you run into the cost, we make small components which have quite a bit of complex machining involved, if we were to make up a single component it could take 4 hours ( majority of that is setting up the machines) , when we make them in batches of 100 we can run them out in 22 minutes, thats a huge difference.
If a company is set up for CNC machining of parts they can spit them out in a fraction of the time for a manual job, so its unfair to compare the two costs!
Dean

How much did Fly products quote for the part? Surely they could have provided it cheaper straight from Italy?

Dean, Yes! .. I asked around and it seems by all accounts that I did get a fair price. Makes sense I suppose that a one off job would naturally cost more that mass production. So, I take it back .. not a rip-off ...

But in future, I know where to get any part for a Solo 210.

Gordon, I didn't even check it out with Casteluccio in Italy. Last time I priced a clutch for the Solo 210 with them, I was quoted 800 yoyos. I'll do without it . . . .

That's a crazy price Paddy...!!! One thing i have learned (the hard way) is be careful what machine you choose, apart from the initial specification, price, etc.... service/spares/etc... and helpfulness play a really big factor.
On my first machine.... (Not an H&E) my heart was broke (and props) and i wasted many good flyable days waiting for parts... 'Unmotivated' dealers were another issue i had.....

Thankfully reliability, servicibility and support from H&E and their dealer is much better....

It's always a good idea to ask around and check what your collegues have bought, and find out what their experiences have been.



Gd