Don't you just hate those moments

[Bob Cotsford]

all I had to do was to knock the shaft through a motor to reverse the mounting method. The grub screw undid easily, the shaft started moving with only moderate hammerage so it's time to move the circlip. Grab it with the pliers, pull back, and start searching the carpet.

Now I heard it bounce off the toolbox, so it didn't go too far, but can I find it now?

Can I &^%!

I've got circlips for 3.2mm shafts.

I've got circlips for 4mm shafts.

Have I got one for a 5mm shaft? Two guesses.

Of course my latest order from GC only arrived this morning, and from Modelfixings last week so I will have to think of something useful to make an order to one of them worthwhile.

[John Privett]

Bob, you haven't got one (or more) of those small but very powerful rare-earth magnets, have you?

If so (and assuming the circlip is magnetic!) wave it slowly around the carpet, mine-sweeper syle, and with a bit of luck... It's worked for me at least once, though with small nuts/bolts rather than circlips.

[Alwyn Gee]

Och Bob...........just get the good lady to hoover the floor and then empty the dust pan onto a nice clean white sheet and sift her way though the debris. Shes bound to find it for you. Come on.......you're not scared are you?

Alwyn

[Kevin Wesley]

Hi Bob, Just something i remember learning from someone , or somewhere from days gone by when trying not to lose valve collets on a four stroke engine. If you put the motor into a clear plastic bag big enough to get your hands in when removing the cir-clip, if it flies off it cant get lost (or hit you in the eye !) cos it stays in the bag

Kev

[Eric Powell]

If you have a nozzle adaptor on the hoover use that with a pop sock/stocking/tights taped over the nozzle and clean the floor .

( the pop sock .etc stops anything going up into the dustbag so you can see what you have vacuumed up )

hope this is of use and you find the circlip.

[Bob Cotsford]

Thanks for the suggestions, too late for the magnets and rather than sifting through the questionable debrit in the vac bag I'll wait and order a pack when I build up a shopping list. It just means demoting the 1 1/2 Strutter from the active list to awaiting repair.

Of course, once I put an order in the original circlip will reappear right under my nose.

Good idea about working in a large freezer bag btw.

[Steve W-O]

Which end of the motor is the circlip?

If it is on the prop end, you won't need it.

If there is room, you could also put a wheel collet on the shaft instead of the circlip.

[Bob Cotsford]

Steve,

first it was on the non-prop end ie holding everything together, then I nicked it out of the Strutter and reversed it to fit in an MPX Dogfighter so it would have been on the non-prop end (if it hadn't gone it's own way). However I've now got a better suited motor for the DF so I need to reverse it to go back in the Strutter, which means the circlip is needed again. As for wheel collets, I have 3mm, I have 4mm but not one 5mm!

I suppose that strictly speaking it is an E-clip rather than a circlip, though either would do.

[Steve W-O]

4mm + drill = 5mm

Some I have stripped have circlips, and some e clips, I have found the circlips to be of poor quality, and either bend or break, so the E clips are better for me.

[Bob Cotsford]

I found enough odds and ends needed for the current build that were actually in stock to make up an order from GC so it will get the correct item. It saves having to drill the mounting box to clear a collet. It's still frustrating how easily these small components can swap out to a parallel universe then reappear when they're no longer needed.