remove u-joint from stock flex cable?

[wagerja]

I bought upgraded hardware but it didn't come with a new flex cable.

Is it possible to remove the flex cable from stock u-joint and reuse it?

If so, how do I remove it?

[wagerja]

Really 33 views and no one has a clue?

The prop shaft the came with hardware has square hole in it for the flex cable.

Any help?

[kookie_guy]

Only hope you have is to put a lot of heat on it. Depending on what they used to fuse it to the u-joint, it might give.

Square in the prop shaft? Can you post a link to the hardware you got? Personally, I'd order a new .150 flex cable with a new 3/16 prop shaft (assuming the new strut you got is for a 3/16" prop shaft of course). Even if you do get the u-joint off, you are gonna be putting a round flex cable into a square hole. Just a matter of time before it fails, and you loose an expensive prop.

Steve sells the new cables here for $10 unassembled, or you pay to have it properly assembled for you. That's the route I would take. But again, that's my opinion.

[tiqueman]

Only hope you have is to put a lot of heat on it. Depending on what they used to fuse it to the u-joint, it might give.

Square in the prop shaft? Can you post a link to the hardware you got? Personally, I'd order a new .150 flex cable with a new 3/16 prop shaft (assuming the new strut you got is for a 3/16" prop shaft of course). Even if you do get the u-joint off, you are gonna be putting a round flex cable into a square hole. Just a matter of time before it fails, and you loose an expensive prop.

Steve sells the new cables here for $10 unassembled, or you pay to have it properly assembled for you. That's the route I would take. But again, that's my opinion.

Cant do an assembled drive on a BJ26 w/ a u-joint coupler. Kookie, Ive got some spare flex w/ u-joint if you need one. Id just ask 4 or 5 dollars to cover shipping.

EDIT, Oh wait sorry, read that wrong. Kookie, you updated your hardware, not replacing it w/ original. IMO its not worth trying to get the coupler off to salvage a shaft. Just get a new one (.150) w/ 3/16 stub.

Oh also, from your description, and not seeing a pic, Im guessing you got the inline strut/ rudder combo like OSE sells, or Fightercat, HOTR etc. Stating its square drive, Id imagine its set up for 4mm and not 3/16?

[wagerja]

That's correct it's a 4mm shaft (I think, 4mm nut anyway). I've never glued or sodered a flex cable to a stub shaft before but I don't see why I couldn't figure it out.

[tiqueman]

So, just to be sure Im on the same page, your new hardware does not have a U-joint. Your now going flex to hard straight shaft. You have the squared end hard shaft and are looking for a flex to fit it?

If this is the case, theres no need to solder or glue. It s a free floating sytem. Ive heard good and bad about it, most of the bad relates to the dissassembly required to remove the flex for maintenance.

Heres the flex, contact Ben and he will get you fixed up.

http://fightercatracing.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=55&category_id=24&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Matter of fact, I think I have one. How long do you need the flex to be?

[wagerja]

this is what I got.

http://www.r2hobbies.com/eng/proddetail.php?prod=rcbp1832004

It looks very nice and good quality. Bronze bushed rudder and looks like a needle bearing stub shaft support.

Kookie, the Stub shaft is captured by the drive dog on one end and the enlarged bell for the flex cable on the other. So worse case scenario if the flex connection fails is the boat goes dead in the water spinning the cable but not the prop.

anybody got a link to OSE's plain .150 flex cable without a stub shaft?

Edit We cross posted

I'm not sure how long it needs to be yet, I'm have to go home and measure it.

[tiqueman]

Is this what you got but in 4MM instead of 3/16?

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=ose-80085

[tiqueman]

we posted at the same time. Good guess huh? What I did w/ mine is drilled it out to accept 3/16. Its much easier to get replacement parts etc and much easier to service. Its pretty easy to convert it

[tiqueman]

Not sure why you would want a plain .150 shaft, it wont work.? Lose the 4mm stuff and convert it. Best mod you will make to it.

[wagerja]

How did you go about converting it? link?

[tiqueman]

Ive got a detailed description in a post somewhere.. where, who knows? Basically, knock the bushings out of the existing strut. You can do this a couple different ways. You can find an appropriate size punch and hammer them out, or use a drill bit the is just slightly larger then the inner diameter of the bushings so it goes in and grabs and spins the bushing, then back it out. There are 2 bushings in it. Next take a BRAND NEW 1/4" drill bit and drill into the bore of the strut. You will find that the 1/4" bit is only slightly larger than the current bore. It is possible to do this by hand, but a drill press works better. Personally, I have done about a dozen by hand and only messed one up, and that was because I used and old bit and rushed it. When you start to feel heat, stop, let it cool, and go at it again. Oh, use some type of lubrication while drilling it too, cutting oil etc. You need to get it deep anough to either install a make shift bushing that looks like this (or you can by one similar) so it doesnt need to be drilled very far, only 1/8" or whatever the lip length is on the bushing
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...ds-015-bsf-250

Or the way I do it is use 2 of these and drill it deeper
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...od=oct-oc6ltsb

Then finish it w/ the .150 and 3/16 stub. http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...oct-oc150L-24c If you havent braised a flex to a stub shaft, it can be tricky to get a good bond. Ive been doing it for quite some time and every once in a while still have one slip. Ive recently started gluing them w/ loctite 648 and am more than impressed w/ the stuff. I had to order it online. I first tested it on a drive dog and didnt use the set screw. Ive run that shaft now for about 2 dozen runs and it hasnt failed spinning an M445 prop. Or you can just get the assembled cable. Either way, you will have to cut it to length. A dremel and a good cut off wheel is a simple way to go.

It takes about 30 minutes to do the conversion.

[wagerja]

Awesome Info! Thanks.

If I can get my 642 to fit the 4mm shaft, I may just order that cable from FighterCat and run it that way for now.
I'd don't run my boats a ton, so if I lube it up good when I install it and fiddle with the strut height and angle on the first few runs and scribe a mark on it when I find something that works reasonably well, I don't see a problem with removing the strut to lube the flex cable in the future.

This assuming that the FighterCat cable is a length that I can work with.

[wagerja]

tiqueman,

on slightly different note, you seem like to have a good amount of experience with this type of hardware. whats your opinion on placement?

that is that if I mount it directly to the transom I will have to cut back my stock scuffing tube and this will move the prop an inch or so forward of the stock location
OR
add spacer block between the hull and hardware bracket, keeping the stock scuffing tube and prop someplace near the stock location with rudder behind.

?

[tiqueman]

Just cut the stuffing tube. Its the easiest and the length of everything off the transom is perfect. Also, you may find removing the turn fins all together is going to be your best bet. I went through all the mods w/ mine, angling the fins, shortening them etc etc and found w/ this hardware, removing them seemed to work the best as its a little more predictable in the turns.

Heres my neighbors before we realized no fins is better.