Tutorial - CopterX head on Belt CP

[Ff6022]

Well I have put the swash in the freezer and then heated with a lighter, still no joy. I will try heating for less time maybe I'm putting too much heat to it.

[copterboy]

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I often am!), but wouldnt putting the swash in the freezer be counter produtive to the heating, as you are also cooling the ball/screws aswell?

I'd suggest keeping the swash at room temp, before applying the heat.

I did the swash mod, as you are trying, but it was at least 3 yrs ago. Can remember it being a struggle to get the original balls out. Like they used red threadlock, instead of blue.

I'd also suggest finding a screwdriver that fits as best you can. They do seem to chew up easily, if they are a poor fit. I haven't found a standard sized screwdriver yet that I could recommend, but I have a set of small screwdrivers now with bigger handles (not the watchmaker type), and they seem to fit well enough and I get enough torque to break the threadlock.

I seem to have some bells ringing in the back of my mind, that I had to get brutal with 2 of the balls on my old swash. Think I had to cut a flat groove through the steel ball and screw head, so I could get a bigger flathead screwdriver on it, for more torque. Might have even had my plumbers grips on it as a head snapped off leaving only a short peice of threaded metal sticking out of the swash!! Was a bit of a fight, and I was applying heat as you are.

I don't wish to worry you that it's going to be a knightmare, but with the right tools and right method you should manage it - without having to go through each step of increasing brutality

[sutty]

Originally Posted by copterboy

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I often am!), but wouldnt putting the swash in the freezer be counter produtive to the heating, as you are also cooling the ball/screws aswell?

Indeed, I think there must be a misunderstanding here, like an interference fit bearing onto a shaft, where cooling everything would cause them to contract, and then applying localised heat to the bearing would cause it to expand making the hole bigger, and releasing the bearing from the shaft, but this is not the case here.

In this case Ff6022 we are simply trying to melt/soften a plastic setting compound which has been applied to the threads of the screw before assembly. Once set, without melting, the screw can be very difficult to remove. As copterboy has stated they should have used blue locktight, which can usually be removed after a little heating. Other types do not respond so well, if at all. I've never not been able to remove a ball from a swash though, but if they did use the wrong type, then as copterboy suggest you might have to get brutal.

Is there anything plastic about the swash? In not then you can afford to not worry too much about not heating it too much. Try heating the ball and the screw from the end, for long enough for the heat to travel down the screw.

Maybe show us a close up photograph of the offending ball, and swash, so we can make further suggestions.

Cheers

Sutty

[Ff6022]

Thanks for the replies guys. I will be trying tomorrow to get the offending balls out my swash. That could sound wrong. I will try the suggested ideas. The swash is completely aluminium but aluminum expands quite quickly under heat and this could pinch the screw further adding to my problem would it not? I will see how I get on in the morning thanks.

[jperkosk]

Originally Posted by Ff6022

The swash is completely aluminium but aluminum expands quite quickly under heat and this could pinch the screw further adding to my problem would it not?

Quite to the contrary. All holes in most metals open up when heated evenly. The steel ball in the aluminum thread will get looser with the higher temperature, as Al expands more than steel. Your main task here is not to open up the tolerances, though: it's to soften the the threadlock compound used there, sound like they used some nasty kind from your description.

[copterboy]

I'm wondering, if the swash is all aluminium, then can it be put in an low oven @ 250degC for 5 mins.

This should help expend the aluminium swash, and hopefully soften the loctite enough, so your specially selected screwdriver can apply enough torque to break the compound.

You will have to work quick, as ALU tends to start contracting from the moment you remove it from the oven.

So I would recommend, in oven for 5 mins. Remove from oven with a towel to protect your fingers getting burnt. Put your lighter to the ball for 10 seconds, to give the threadlock some direct heat, then quickly try to remove it with the screwdriver.

Repeat heating process for each screw, but only for 2/3 mins, after the initial 5 min blast.

All I can add to that is....I hope you percivere and are successful with it, as the head upgrade is one of the best mods you can do to a belt-cp. Gives it more stability and better responsiveness

[CyprusDave]

With all the trouble getting the balls out and the risk of damage, I'd say it's time to look at just using the CopterX swash and move the AR guide to the front.

I did this long ago, and it was a pretty simple mod. I made a little plastic extension/bracket, you can just see it in the picture.




Or do the DTS mod, and the AR guide can stay in the back, but you might have to move it a little. See post # 7 here:
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=154553

[Ff6022]

Hello guys thanks for all ur help. In the end I got a high powered lighter some fire gloves and just blasted the balls and then used a decent screwdriver as suggested. I still managed to ruin two screw heads but got enough out to use. The oven idea may have been a good way to go had I read it first. But dame that thing needs to be hot. Cheers and all done. My mate will be pleased now just have to sort out the transmitter.

[ottadel_vzla]

Hi, after the read of the various posts about this theme ( modification of Esky with metal parts CopterX, is any able to describe step by step the procedure to change the parts, her in my country Venezuela is very hard to find the parts for this helicopter here only exist Aling and Blade, this the reason to change to any one more versatile model I have 2 helicoperts they are of my sons and I need to fix maybe later I swap to Aling.

I find the parts on Ebay web page this #130739006034

Thanks a lot in advance.

[CyprusDave]

Some links below:

https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=107467
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=68408
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=154553

Keep in mind that when you do these mods, you pretty much have to have a programmable transmitter (TX), something like the Spektrum DX6i. The stock E-Sky transmitter does not allow you to make the required changes to the setup to be able to get everything to work correctly after the mods.

Other useful links here:
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=160961

[Ff6022]

Hey guys I have the copterx head on and transmitter fixed now I need to set it up. As this is the first 450 sized flybar heli I have repaired I was hoping you guys could point me in the direction of a thread to set this up. I.e pitch and balance. And does anything else need adapting when copterx head is put on. Cheers

[CyprusDave]

Have a look at my last post, the one just before yours, some links there specific to Copter-X heads on the Belt.

For general stuff, all the basics are here:
https://www.helifreak.com/showthread.php?t=41692

The particular ones you might want are:

Blade Balancing 101
Blade Tracking 101
CCPM Setup Part 1
CCPM Setup Part 2
Dual Rates 101
Exponential 101

[Ff6022]

Thanks a lot I'll have a look now

[collins36]

Hi all, i've searched high and low for a forum on esky cp's about this topic and finally!!
I've been given a belt cpx all it's done is hover chap couldn't get on with it and had a close call with the wall No damage to the heli just took the ends of the blades..
So i was going to renew main sharft , feathering spinndle(to be safe) and main blades. So my Q (sorry if been asked before) would this upgrade to the head work on the cpx seeing as the swash is different to the cp?? If it can fit would i have to do anything different to what is shown at start of thread??
Any help greatful...

[pinguin]

I tried to change the head with Tarot 450 pro head. I found out that the main shaft is too short. The original shaft is 118mm. I need at least 125mm.
Do you know any other mainshaft that 125mm in length and 5mm in diameter?