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prkaye

Well Known Member
Can I go ahead and mount my prop any time, or are there other FWF tasks that will be much harder to do after the prop is mounted?
 
In the way

The prop will just be in the way. Can't think of any reason you need it on there until the very end other than fitting the spinner.
 
Prop

I mounted my prop fairly early and I took it on and off three or four times.

I do have one word of advice. When I did mount it I put my spinner on as well and didn't take it off until hour 25 to do some inspections. For those first 25 hours I kept getting a little bit of oil on my windscreen. When I took the spinner off I found a little bit of grease that was thrown out of hub and was just sitting between the hub and spinner. As the engine heated up it would throw a little out. The grease was on the outside of the prop during assembly.

Once I cleaned it up I never had a issue again. To make a long story short, do the initial engine run with the spinner off and clean up any grease before mounting the spinner.
 
As others have said, you don't need it mounted for anything other than fitting up the cowling. Mounting it early increases your chances of bumping into it or dinging it with something.

Is it a constant speed prop or fixed pitch? FP props are easy to install and take off so if that's what you have, you could probably mount it and remove it later if its in the way. CS props are much more of a pain to mount and remove and I try to do that as few times as possible. I hate to nick up the crank o-ring and not find out until I do my first engine start.
 
don't install it yet

It will be in the way big time while fitting the cowling, use pvc spacers and
hardware store bolts for the rear spinner back plate, it will make fitting the cowling on and off 100 times much easier, that way you can get the proper
spacing on the front.. save the prop and spinner for last after you get
the cowling fit .. my opinion only..


Danny
 
I can't imagine why you would need the prop for fitting the cowling. I've done quite a few RV cowlings and never have the prop in place. It's just in the way.
 
well,... temp mount is good for photo opportunity

and incentive to keep going,...at least from my experience :D

be sure to protect the blades as you install spinner
 
Leave it off until you want to fit the spinner. If you install it now you WILL drive your head into several times during the rest of the construction.
 
We knew we were going to need to R&R a constant speed prop several times to fit the cowl and spinner so I procured a discarded hub and dome similar to the prop I was installing and used that with only two mounting bolts. It also helped when it came to trimming the front of the cowl and baffeling.
 
OK thanks guys. I have a FP (Catto) prop. Maybe I'll at least install the extension. I was kind of keen to install the prop for the cool factor of looking at it and showing it off... would make the plane look that much more "done". But maybe it's not worth the hassle...
 
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