Strut, Bushing & Drive Dog Positioning Blackjack 42 - Flex Cable Mod 

I have been commenting on my blackjack 42. That is the boat that my flex cable is stuck on my new bj 42. I have the strut assembly loose. Is it supposed to be able to slide all the way back to the prop and up over the brass tube? I have pics on Facebook black jack owners group. Wish I could get in touch with you to help figure this out without ruining the boat.

I see what you're saying about the flex shaft getting shorter under load. But excessive slop between the strut and drive dog is going to put a Radial load on your motor bearings. The thrust needs to be transmitted to the strut or TRANSome not the motor.

Try to find a steel bearing to replace the bushing. #2 no the bushing should not turn.

I think it shouldn't spin, because the brass on aluminum is no way good bearing surfaces. I fought this "floating bushing" thing for a while. I eventually went to bushings, using two, one up in the front of the strut and one at the back. OSE has them. I've had good luck with the bushings.

OK.. I am lost.. there is a lot of back of forth of Spin and Not Spin.. Can we have one Definitive answer on the Spin or Not To Spin. thanks Side note... big fan, love the vids, so clear and informative ... much appreciated from So Cal. Tom TheBomb

Question, if you lock that in place . How do you grease your flex shaft ?

Ok, mine spins and comes out to take up gap . If I lock it in . How do you grease the shaft

This video is exactly what I was looking for! I just bought a Sonicwake v2 and it has ~2mm gap. I wanted to increase this to 3-4mm before running it the first time. Did your V2 require extending the flat spot on the shaft?

Is it possible to replace the bushing with a sealed ball bearing? I just ordered a Blackjack 42 and can't wait to rip it on the water but I want to make it as "bullet proof" as possible before I break it :) Thanks for the great information. Cheers, Jeff (Garage Maker Guy)

Some people,as you know, completely remove the flex shaft after every run to prevent bowing of the shaft when the boat sits idle. Any bowing is going to cause problems.

Ok ok let me clear this up. The gap should be the same width as the flex cable. Yes the bushing should rotate. I dunno who the commenters are who are saying no but they wrong.

Hey man! Love ❤️ your vids. A bushing should never rotate in a strut. The bushing is there to support the drive shaft and not rotate like a bearing. . Another option would be to put a bearing with a flange on the strut.. BTW you should of shown the contraction of the drive shaft after the modification.

Nice to no 👍Allen Quebec canada merci

i think your drive dog will move inward when your boat runs. try to observe after running and show it on your next video pal.

For what it's worth, my bushing is flush with the end of the strut barrel... It does not sit proud like your bushing does. I'm thinking that when your bushing started to spin with the drive dog it began pulling out. You'll have to start asking others if their bushing sits flush with the strut barrel, or if it sits proud like yours. Anyway, just thought I'd share what mine looks like. 👍👍

Can’t get it tapped out with the hammer and needle nose? Any other suggestions?

Use a nylon washer of 3 mm and no the bushing is stationary.

How bout trying to remove the Allen nut from the collar assembly! From the factory they over tightened the nut and I had to drill the dam thing out carefully. I have ordered spare shaft assembly and extra collars. I have 3 emails into horizon website over 2 weeks and no response! I am furious about this. Being in the marine industry having the bearing spinning to me is not something I’ve seen. The Rc boat field is new to me though. I know in powerboats with inboards we have cutlas bearings. This is a brass collar with hard rubber the shaft goes through which is attached into the struts. There are about 8 “v” slots that allow the water to pass through under way. That obviously prevents overheating and friction. If that brass collar spun you’d be in a lot of trouble. It is pressed into the strut and has to be pressed out which has 2 stainless steel Allen screws to keep it seated. Btw nice vid.

Hi, my name is Richard, I have a 58inch x15 inch v hull , Iam wondering how and where to install the propeller hardware when I get it and fo you have any suggestions on what I need to get thankyou

Where can I buy a stinger with large cable?

yep, that is what I've been saying.

Great Vid but I'd just like to throw my 2 cents in. I feel that the main reason for the bushing to be spinning is for the vibration of the flex shaft spinning inside the bushing not so much the drive dog butting up against the bushing. And then on that the prop may be ever so slightly unbalanced causing the shaft to oscillate inside the bushing unevenly. It would only need to be slight but enough for the oscillating action of the shaft inside the bushing to make it spin. As your video at 1:40 clearly shows the bushing rotating but I feel it's inconclusive as to the drive dog imparting any pressure on it to make it move. So I'd definitely suggest replacing the bushing with a bearing. As to the need to relocate the prop further along the shaft I feel in that instance if the prop is slightly unbalanced it may impart a more ( please forgive my inability to find the right words to describe the actions) pendulum effect on the prop creating more vibration on the end of the shaft the further you have it from the strut. I'm not saying that my hypothesis is the absolute but I feel there are other forces at play here. I feel if I could draw it better than using words. But anyway just suggesting some things to consider or factor in to your modding. I'd like to point out that here at this website rcboatbitz.com/category/props/ they have prop balances and I feel when you're getting into the realms of big monster boats ( I feel the BJ42 is there) and using alloy props the need to balance them is important just like with model aircraft props. Anyway Great vid and keep it up. Cheers

After a couple $200 in the lake the genius at the hobby shop tells me this Lucky for me I had extra parts! I like you channel keep up the good work brother !

Thanks for telling us mate , I better check the wife's black jack before she runs it.

I appreciate your vids but damn this boat requires work.

Good stuff bro. Way to spread the knowledge to the people

Bush should never spin ...... depending on if the top end is clamped at the motor if so the gap at the dog give it a 1/8 INCH GAP . IF THE TOP END of the cable square and runs loose in coupler your don't need the gap

I had a heated discussion about this subject on a boat Facebook group . I told him it shouldn't move , he told it has to & I said U will wear out the strut , the bushing & the flexshaft . Haven't seen your blackjack 42 lately . I'm guessing your strut & bushing is no good & waiting for parts . Keep up the good work Big B

Good info, might try this. Have u taken a hair off the stuffing tube to run a bit more negative prop angle on this boat? I’m not able to get this boat over 65 without it blowing over, even with the trim tabs and strut adjustments. Kinda out of ideas so thinking of taking a bit off the tube which would also enable a bit more dog gap I would think

The strut bushing is stationary and had a bearing so it should not spin with the shaft.Make sure your strut is snug to the tube and the step down should be about the same as a nylon bushing gap!Grinding off more only gets it out of balance more and cause vibration at high rpm🤔

Didn't you heat that bushing to get it out of the tubing? I thought you mention that in your other video. I did see one other video were this other person hammer the whole drive out of the tubing .he would loosen the nut of the prop then he used a pear of cutting pliers and positioned it between the prop and nut and lightly tap the whole bushing and shaft out of the tubing.

Question, should I be greasing the bushing on every other run like I do with the drive shaft #IRONCLADRC?

Great video 👍

The word you are looking for is constrict. Great channel!

The bushing in that strut is a copy of Speedmaster's it is designed to spin in the strut

Have you ever ran a outdrive or out board motor on any of your boats especially a rigger boat?

My fix was to drill the strut body sides and add set screws, to hold the bushing stationary in the strut barrel, but still be able to be removed for service. Flush mount set screws and a swipe of clear goop over the holes. Light tension on the set screws, don't get crazy. 3mm sets. Fresh blue loctite, shook well. Udder Butter all over the cable and all is happy with a 2mm gap with a nylon rub washer, so no metal on metal, which causes heat and grease cast off then, on a hot prop, and used cable. This is what they should have done for a consumer boat. Damn China clear superglue/loctite crap on everything, including the bushing in the strut, the rudder pin, causing servo drag, the complete rudder assembly, engine mount screws, fittings on the engine cooling can. A fistfight to clear that stuff, but I got it all. ALOT of drag with that strut, the nose is noticeably blunt/wall. Now fixed with speedmaster round bottom medium Cat.

First

Quick question for you, the brass bit that goes into the stuffing tube and you can get your 1/2 mm clearance keeps coming out of the strut does it needs to be fixed in place with lock tight or something it's becoming troublesome? Hobbyking aquaholic v2, Loving the vids, much appreciated 🇬🇧

Great video ,👍 any up date how this is holding up? Thanks

Cool Channel bro. Is the cable on the BJ42 not a one piece? Keep up these honest awesome videoes

thanks for this very important tip !!!

Maybe that's why I'm experiencing a weird noise when I start to accelerate, the only way I can describe it is it sounds like bearing skip, then disappears at higher revs,

That happened with my 1sr boat Shockwave, didn’t want to spend any extra $$ and bushing was unavailable at the time. So I used a piece of cooper tubing I already had and drilled the inside out so it would fit well with flex cable and pressed it into strut bullet. Worked better than factory . Thanks Big B for helping everyone out!!

That flexshaft has a new design and a less gap needed from flex!Improves the leak issue when grease is low in shaft tube👍

The bushing supost to spin is normal but i always put lock glue and make it like the old ones