ducted fan dissasembly

[sinker49]

I'm trying to take my fan unit apart,to balance the fan and possibly the out runner motor mounted to it.I need a How To.how do u get the impellor off?

[xmech2k]

I found for the EDF I have, you remove the screw on the nose (Well, that goes without saying, but...) Then I found it easy to remove them with 2 of these 5-1/2" prybars. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G33

I worked them carefully between the fan blades to pry off the impeller from the back.

Of course, this is my first EDF, it's cheap, and I'm improvising.

[Larry3215]

Originally Posted by sinker49

I'm trying to take my fan unit apart,to balance the fan and possibly the out runner motor mounted to it.I need a How To.how do u get the impellor off?

It would help if we knew which fan unit it was

[sinker49]

Originally Posted by xmech2k

I found for the EDF I have, you remove the screw on the nose (Well, that goes without saying, but...) Then I found it easy to remove them with 2 of these 5-1/2" prybars. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...&blockType=G33

I worked them carefully between the fan blades to pry off the impeller from the Of course, this is my first EDF, it's cheap, and I'm improvising.

Hey at least ur honest.good answer,if alittle scary.

[sinker49]

Originally Posted by Larry3215

It would help if we knew which fan unit it was

It is a Starmax 70 mm.They put them in their ARF's.

[xmech2k]

Originally Posted by sinker49

Hey at least ur honest.good answer,if alittle scary.

Sounds scary, but the fans on mine were so tight, and the blades so delicate, I messed up the blades of one fan the first time I tried to remove it. With the method I came up with, it applies pressure on the back of the 'spinner' of the fan and the fromt of the motor mount, preventing damage to the blades. It's only tricky working the pry bars between the blades so they wind up 180 degrees apart.

[Lieutenant Loughead]

How strange -- I'm having the exact same problem with my Starmax 70mm EDF. When I assembled it, I put some Loctite on the threads -- HUGE mistake!

I heated up the impeller cone with a soldering iron -- that loosened the Loctite enough to get the cone off.

Then I tried the same thing with the impeller shaft / adapter. No dice! I left the soldering iron on there for 30 minutes -- it was good and hot -- still wouldn't budge!

Then I tried using needle nose pliers and regular pliers on the shaft. I messed up the threads -- now my plan is to cut the shaft off with a Dremmel cutting tool. (I have 2 spare shafts...

The problem seems to be the way the adapter attaches to the motor shaft. The first ones were collet style, so I can see how those would slip. The second revision has a set screw -- and each time you turn it around the motor shaft, you are damaging the motor shaft.

Best of luck. I hope you don't have to cut yours off. Bit you do, just contact Starmax and get some replacement adapters.

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Finally got it all cut apart. The plastic piece of the EDF that holds the motor to the EDF was broken (probaby due to vibration) -- so the whole EDF is worthless now.

I'm trying to salvage the motor -- but the crazy prop adapter won't separate from the motor shaft EVEN WITH BOTH SET SCREWS COMPLETELY REMOVED!

Not sure what's happening here, but it's ugly...

[Lieutenant Loughead]

I ended up having to cut the adapter off the shaft. My motor is finally free of the ducted fan unit.

[sinker49]

Hello,old friend. I guess you now need a new fan. What kind and what's it going into?I have another Starmax related problem .On the 70 mm F86 I have the thing is it has a plastic thrust tube.I've taped and re-taped the front of it but somehow,either because it's too light a material ,too thin ,or because there is an inch or so gap between the fan and the the front of it and also a small hole in the immediate rear of the fan housing for the motor wires Air is getting into the space between the Thrust Tube and the inside of the Fuselage,and looking in there I can see it collapse and block the airflow out of the rear of the jet.There is a really big space between the fan rear mount the forward thrust tube former and the inner fuselage wall for the elevator and rudder and speed brake wires and air from the fan is getting in there ,at least by the front section.It is amazing to watch the plastic distort and come into the center of the tube.I fear that this Aircraft is destined to be hanging on the wall as a display model,due to this and problems with the landing gear strut adapters between the Trunion blocks and the oleo struts being soft and yet brittle at the same time, unless I can cobble replacements together by hand with just a Dremel tool.As regards the thrust tube,I'm looking to stuff soft packing foam in the motor wire tube and making sure the front and rear ends of the tube are glued securely. next step will be a stiffer material for the tube I thought I saw some ready made Thrust tubes that were made from carbon fiber sheet.I don't know the name of the company ? Good luck and happy landings

[Lieutenant Loughead]

I had a spare Starmax ducted fan unit -- Starmax actually sent me two free ducted fan units when my brand new F-5 threw the plastic nose cone off the EDF and injested it into the blades during a static ground test (before the first flight). The entire EDF destroyed itself -- no maiden that day!

So, as I said, Starmax sent me a replacement fan -- and then sent me ANOTHER replacement fan. So, I've already got the SECOND fan installed in the F-5, and she's ready to fly again.

I hope this fan lasts longer than the other two!

[Glacier Girl]

sinker, on your latest problem, it sounds more like you are running into an intake starvation problem. What happens is the fan is trying to draw more airflow then the tube can support, and the tube gets sucked shut.

I've seen it before on let's just say "inexpensive" set ups. What you could do is go with a stronger material to make up a new tube, or do what most do. Cut a cheater hole in the fuse/tube in front of the fan. This allows more air to get to the fan and will reduce the intake from sucking shut.

Had a bud's F16 experience this, at least on his there was no tube to suck shut, but it would barely get out of it's own way in the air. I cut a cheater hole in the intake and it was like the plane kicked in the after burners. It flew easily at twice it's speed before hand.



LL, I've had those adapters stick too. Instead of the solder iron, I used one of those little butane torches. It will heat up the adapter much quicker and it will pop right off. The pin point flame is easy to direct to right where you need it, and doesn't heat up the motor/shaft.

Just don't do like I did, try and catch the adapter when it pops off. Those little buggers hold heat for a bit. OUCH!!! LOL!!!

[sinker49]

Hey mod's didn't I have some more posts in this thread? If so I'd like an explanation,A PM would be courteous and fair.please disregard,my bad! wrong forum!

[sinker49]

[QUOTE=Lieutenant Loughead;825743]I had a spare Starmax ducted fan unit -- Starmax actually sent me two free ducted fan units when my brand new F-5 threw the plastic nose cone off the EDF and injested it into the blades during a static ground test (before the first flight). The entire EDF destroyed itself -- no maiden that day!

So, as I said, Starmax sent me a replacement fan -- and then sent me ANOTHER replacement fan. So, I've already got the SECOND fan installed in the F-5, and she's ready to fly again.

I hope this fan lasts longer than the other two! Hey LL that Bird is still looking really nice.I have completely repainted mine and no place on it will you find any yellow except on the numeral outline of the "09",you were so kind to send with the battery.By the way I've a new address now and for some reason Paypal got everything mixed up and the battery was almost two weeks getting to me.All is well though,It did arrive and with your little surprise .Now if I can get some Brazilian Air Force Decals to match my new paint job,it'll be too cool! I may try making them on my inkjet printer or go to staples and see if they can do it I've got the stickyback film for them now,but,it's been a little too hot for me to go out on my motor scooter in the daytime,or during normal office hrs.but I promise to get er done soon and will learn how to send pix on this dang thing they call a PC.

[Lieutenant Loughead]

Wow -- I'm really sorry to hear it took so long to get to you! This is the first I've heard of this. I'm glad it all worked out.

[sinker49]

Originally Posted by Lieutenant Loughead

Wow -- I'm really sorry to hear it took so long to get to you! This is the first I've heard of this. I'm glad it all worked out.

After all the ballyhoo,I gotta admit I screwed up! the motor wires on my F-86 were color coded wrong and I had the motor running in reverse.I'm just glad It didn't eat the light plastic thrust tube and the motor wires.Thankfully they were too short and couldn't reach the blades.the reason was i was too scared to look in the back of the jet with the motor running and when i looked in the front inlet i saw the weird sight of the clear plastic tube looking like a miniature tornado and well I guess u can figure out the rest.OOPs doesn't quite cover it!