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I've been wanting to make a tool for a while to help
me get the prop nut on tight. I'm finally getting around
to doing that. I never liked grabbing the fan with a rag
and cranking down on the prop nut because you can bend
the plastic fan. And if you just balanced it, then it's
probably not balanced after you finish twisting on it.
And if you used the method where you lock the crankshaft
(as in the lock that screws in the glow plug hole,
toothbrush handle in the carb hole, or remove the back
plate and install it there) then you end up tightening
the fan hub against the engine front bearing too hard.
What I wanted to get was a slim open end wrench like I
used to use on my bicycle (on the nut between the rear
frame and wheel hub), but I could not find one in town (Mt.
Pleasant is not a big town). I looked around the house
and decided to use a thick automotive starter shim that I
had laying around. It's small and won't take up much room
in my already heavy tool box :) If you don't get the prop
nut on tight, then even with loctite on the nut, it is
still likely to come off if try to start a fuel locked
engine. |
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I plan to use it like a handle to hold the hub while
I tighten the prop nut. |
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I need to cut out the hole a little larger. Once I
get this hole the right diameter, I will place the clutch
in it and align the bolt holes of the clutch in line with
the handle. I can then mark the bolt holes and drill them
in the starter shim. |
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To use the tool, just put it on top of the fan hub
and put the two bolts, that normally go through the
clutch, through the tool and into the bolt holes of the
hub. Hold the starter shim while you use a socket wrench
to tighten the prop nut. |
| 8-11-1 I was just told by my good friend
Don Conger that MA supplies a tool like this in their
Xcell kits. They didn't have anything like this back when
I had an Xcell. Oh well, so evidently my idea isn't
original but it works :) |
