Main grips play

[beans07]

Hi I have some bad main grip play in my Synergy N5C. The Heli is 40 flights old. The dampeners are still stiff but there is up and down movement in the grips. It feels like maybe the grips are moving from the bearings not being tight. Too much to ignore. The spindle bolts are tight.

I was thinking maybe an extra shim each side of the grips.

Anyone have this happen? Any suggestions?

[mrtnnicholas]

Make sure your thrust bearings are installed correctly. There is a inside and an out side. Could also be your radial bearings have play in the bearing or in the blade grip. Did you pull the head apart during your first build? Might have been running dry the whole time. On my N5c and my E7 both the thrust bearings were dry and one was installed backwards. It is always a good rule of thumb to check someone else's work. Hope that leads you in the right direction. Good luck.

[beans07]

Thanks for the reply. I always pull helis apart completely before a build. I installed everything correctly and greased it all. I have also built an N5 and E7 and never had issues with either  of them.

I am pretty sure it is in the radials to grips. I can try and loctite them in the grips or maybe shim them some more.

[Kevin Feil]

Bean,

Try shimming.. Let us know what the outcome is??

Kevin

[mrtnnicholas]

One thing to look at before you locktite them in is for damage where the bearings sit in the grips. On both of mine there was a very close tolerance on the grip ID and the bearing OD. If you go the shimming route let us know how it goes. As I am sure you know, make sure the shimming material stays on the race of the bearing and not on the grease shield.

 

[RyanW]

I have my radial bearings Loctite'd in and still am able to "rock" them up/down and back/forth. It doesn't seem to have any adverse effects on flight performance. I think it is just the play in the bearings themselves.

[beans07]

I have my radial bearings Loctite'd in and still am able to "rock" them up/down and back/forth. It doesn't seem to have any adverse effects on flight performance. I think it is just the play in the bearings themselves.

Hi Ryan I am finding the same. I had initially thought (before taking it apart) that the outer races of the bearings and the grips tolerance was out a little. I have just loctited with 609 (green retaining) the radials into the grips and I have found it has eliminated 90% of the rock but there is still a little more than I would like. The bearings were still smooth as silk and the inner race has a little play but it doesn't seem excessive.

I need to take it apart again and really check the bearings on the shaft to make sure it is the actual problem.

So I will look at it and then possibly change out the bearings and or the spindle.

Even though it is most likely the bearings I think shimming it will still take the play out which would tighten the whole lot some more. I just need to find some thin shims.

It probably wouldn't really effect my flying but I don't really want to be changing out bearings every 20-30 flights. Once shimmed up even if the bearings degrade and develop play it should remain tight.

Will let you know how it goes.

BTW I had atleast 150 flights on my N5 without this issue.

[beans07]

I have had a look at my Synergy E7 with about 30 flights on it and it has the same sort of play in the bearings. So I am not sure yet wether it is the spindle tolerences or the actual bearings themselves.

[HelliYea]

I have the same issue Tim on my E7 - a slight rocking of the grips.  I improved it considerably by swapping shims.

[beans07]

Heliyea did you add some shims?

I think the spindle is 8mm? If it is I will add some mikado shims to tighten it up.

[HelliYea]

I noticed I could move the shaft slightly from grip to grip - so some sideways play.  So my fix was to reduce the shims slightly from 1mm to 0.8 mm

[beans07]

Heliyea mine does not have any sideways play just rocks when moving the grips.

I flew the heli again today am I pretty sure it is effecting the flight. I have a head shake on aileron tic tocs which I thought was gain related. I rediced gain in vbar from 100 down to 60 in increments and still have the headshake. I thought possibly rich engine or gov causing it so I tried leaning it off, gov off and also different mounting. Still get the headshake.

I will now install the shim before next flight.

[beans07]

I have put about 25 flights on my Synergy E7 and found there is a lot of play in them as well. I am still not sure what the problem is but both helis's suffer the same so it has to be a quality tolerance issue, just not sure exactly what parts are causing it.

Anyone checked theirs and noticed the problem?