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Press fit hub damage

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Flyguyeddy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2018
Messages
440
I was wanting to reuse this hub but im beginning to think better of it. Looks like someone used a pipe wrench or something on the backside of it. Probably a crack propagation site?

If so itll adorn the wall of my garage and ill either buy a new one or do flywheel drive.

https://imgur.com/gallery/I6oPC6N
 
I don't think it's a show stopper as long as the flange isn't bent. Stress risers cause concern in areas of alternating stress, e.g. a bending shaft, but there isn't much of that in the hub. If you are able to, put the hub on the shaft and turn the shaft on precision v-blocks with a dial indicator on the prop side of the flange. If the total indicated runout is no more than 0.001" the hub is good. You can locally dress the gouges and check them with dye penetrant to be sure. Any local engine shop should be able to do this work I would think.

Ed
 
I'd be the last to argue with Steve Bennett's advice but there is no way those gouges came from a prop strike. Most likely someone was trying to pry or beat the hub off the shaft. It is not necessarily a boat anchor.

Ed
 
Ed-

Possibly pry marks. I thought it shows a little distortion on one side of a bolt hole. It also shows pitting. That's why I asked about the history of the aircraft/engine it came from. The Sonerai is sitting in a (barn?) covered in dust, but looks complete with folded wings. So, I'm wondering why. Didn't look ground looped, but I thought it might have been a nose-over victim. Probably a good idea to tear down that engine and see if it shows internal damage. Which brings up another question for Brandon: why not rebuild the engine? I don't know the ins-n-outs of re-registering an experimental that was previously registered, but could that be an avenue instead of scraping and building new?
 
This one is pretty easy guys.
On a prop hub? Really? How much do they cost? Teardown and replace in a weekend. What is your life worth?
A crop duster friend of mine once told me that right after he got checked out and hired he was told to go buy a helmet - they cost about $1000.00.
He said, "But I can buy a motorcycle helmet for $200.00."
The response he got was, "Well, if you got a $200.00 head, get a $200.00 dollar helmet.

I have got to agree with Thaddeus, "When in doubt throw it out"

On a different topic - One more thing on prop strikes. While I doubt these marks were caused by a prop strike, a prop strike should require a tear down and inspect (easier and less costly to tear done and replace suspect components). Dialing out the hub, isn't enough. More damage can occur inside, including mag damage. I know you heard Bubba's cousin's brother had a prop strike and just put on a new prop and tracked the tips and hasn't had a problem since. These engines are easy to teardown and most likely damaged parts are easier to replace than send out for polishing, imaging and inspection. Luckily, the wooden prop takes most of the shock, but a crank, hub, hub bolt, and mag overhaul would be on my list of places to start. These are airplanes.

The hub would make a great anchor.

John
 
This engine came to me on my project sonerai. The engine is tore down and i am not reusing the crankshaft. This prop hub was removed by me this last time with a clamshell on the very backside and a hydraulic press with some heat. If a puller was used it wasnt by me.
 
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