Prop Balancing Question

[Slyfox]

for weights, the best thing to use is wheel weights, the stick on ones. I bought a big box full of strips. I used them to balance my kitfox and my rv. what you do is stick them on the spinner on the outside. when you get it right, you drill a hole right through the weight and the spinner, stick the weights on the outer edge of the spinner of course. than you take the weight off and put it to the inside, clean the spinner hole that you drilled, (oh 1/8 hole). than put the pull rivet in the hole and the weight on the inside, pull the rivet and your done.

[akarmy]

Just another data point. I have a dynavibe, and used lead weights with a pop rivet through the back plate of the spinner on the back flange. When I landed at the Arlington flyin this summer and clocked my prop by hand to put the registration card on the lead weight fell out of the spinner into my hand. I could only think how lucky I was that it stayed in place with force with the engine running. Turns out the rivet pulled through the fiberglass. Took about 100 hours for that to happen. I replaced it with an AN3 bolt and a few washers that matched up to the same weight. I feel better about the security of that solution.

I really wish it was as easy as the drilled ring gears that most all RV's have where you can just put a bolt through the ring gear with various washers to do the balance.

[Slyfox]

sorry to hear that, mine are in place and solid. I have about 400hrs on mine. the rv the same thing it has 600 hrs on those. I used aluminum rivets.

[Slyfox]

now with that said let me explain my process of putting the revits in. first off when I first did it I used stainless revits, that pulled way to hard and the opposite side of the revit went deep into the weight, also the head of the revit was loose, i remove that and went to I believe carquest and got some aluminum revits and next to those on the shelf were washers to use on the back side. So I bought those washers also. I now put the weight on the back than a washer against the weight and than put the pull revit through everything and set the revit. all nice and tight. still nice and tight.

[akarmy]

I now put the weight on the back than a washer against the weight and than put the pull revit through everything and set the revit. all nice and tight.

That's the key. I used a countersunk rivet in the fiberglass which worked fine, but didn't put the washer on the outside of the lead weight. The lead eventually wallowed out and the tail of the rivet pulled through the hole. Your solution sounds great and looking at it now I'm like of course it should be done that way. Sigh... At least no one got hurt and mine is secure now as well. All good info for others that are doing the same thing.

Thanks Slyfox!

[akarmy]

I simply took large AN washers and put them underneath the spinner screws. two or three washers balanced everything just fine. I think I was under two screws to get the right position slightly between them. Then I weighed the washers and made up the weight to match. I increased the weight slightly as it was moving in a little bit towards the center axis for the final placement. Worked just fine.

Your stick on would also work fine assuming they were against the flange so that the force would press them against the spinner backplate flange.

Lot's of ways to solve the problem.