Rigger stuffing box question

[RichardM]

Setting up my first rigger, it's an old Crapshooter with the engine offset to the starboard side. My question is placement of bearings or bushings for the shaft, what kind and where? On the 3/16 solid shaft is a bushing or bearing needed on the engine end if aligned straight? I've got a couple of used stuts with bushings are they OK to use or do I need needle bearings? Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks. Richard

 

[wswatzell]

1st piece of advice. ditch the solid shaft. Go with a flex shaft. I Just cut the stuffing tube out of my old hydro to convert it to a flex shaft. If you insist on using the solid shaft, then the answer is yes on needing a bearing support near the engine, other wise the shaft will "whip" causing the bearing in the stuffing tube to go bad. This is why I had to cut my old stuffing tube out. mine was unsupported, & my drive shaft whipped so bad that the bearing in the stuffing tube came out & it split the end of the tube. :angry: so break out the dremel. I hope this helps.

 

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Hey Rich,

 

I need to get back that radio box filled with collets I gave you to dig through.

 

[ScottVanSlooten]

Stay away from needle bearing . We use K&S Brass tube two sizes over the shaft size and run it thou the strut and then take one size over shaft and mak a bushing with it about the legth of the strut and put a short piece of the larger tube on the end and cut slots or drill holes in it for grease and this is all you would need for a good set-up just remeber to grease it every couple of runs. I gease it every run. Scott

 

[RichardM]

Thanks for the advice guys, Big Daddy ya got me confused with the other Richard on the collets, if he wants to send them to Texas I'll play with em a while and send um back to ya. LOL

 

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HAHAHA...Man I thought I'd have to go build a .67 rigger to keep up w/the Jones' in my pond...LOL What a relief...LOL

 

[Don Templeton]

Richand,

I ran solid shaft Crapshooters for many years. In the stuffing tube we used as many as 13 ball bearings (3/16 ID X 5/16 ID) spacing them out with brass tube the next size larger than your shaft that ran against the inner race of the bearings.

Usually with a short tube in front of the drive dog then 4 bearings then a little longer tube and 2 bearings and so forth up the stuffing tube finished off with a washer ( a little larger than the stuffing tube) and a short piece of fuel tubing to keep the shaft from falling out the back.

We did not use a bolt on strut but rather encased the stuffing tube in wood and epoxy. I only used bearing oil and checked the bearings after a days running.

After a weekend race of 5 heats or so the most bearings I think that were ever damaged was maybe one of the back four and it never really caused any problems.

This is old technology from the late 70s but it worked well for me.

In any case you need to support the shaft well and make sure you have some play in the universal ball joint. Even if you have to file it out a little.

Don

 

[nitrotoys]

I use 11/32 ks brass tubing, and then the next size down, 9/32 that fits snugly on the inside of the 11/32, take about 2 inches and glue into the 11/32 at the ends, To make it alittle stronger, and more support for the cable.

for 1/4 inch shaft im talking here.