I have that new plastic motorholder/prop wrench and I can't get the props off with it. Motor just spins inside of it. Any tips to get the props off?
New plastic prop wrench. Can't get props off
- Thread starter Mugenski
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msinger
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Hold the motor with one hand and unscrew the prop with the other. You should not need to use the wrench.
RodPad
Premium Pilot
Use something like a rubber band on the motor they shouldn't be to tight. You only have 12 post, You do know that two are reverse threads.
Just my first DJI
I build all my other drones and they take significantly more abuse. If one of them was giving me trouble I'd just take pliers to it. Can't exactly do that with these props and motors though. Ill try a rubber band. I might have just gorilla'd them on too hard. Lesson learned I guess 
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Yes I did. I will need to get a real prop wrench or 3d print something as they are just too tight. Tightened them too much then went flying for an hour. They are well stuck now
Plastic prop tool DJI included just broke as well.
RodPad
Premium Pilot
Na they look fine just super tight. Still can't get them off. Looks like they only had that metal prop tool with the older style motors. Really want to cut the foam for my case but would prefer to take the props off to get the measurements. Ugh.
Put a 1/4” wide rubber band between the clamp and the motor for better grip. The props are usually imprinted with an indicator telling which way to screw them on - twist the prop in the opposite direction to get it off.
The P3 props have plastic threads and for good reason. They may appear weak and questionable - but they are better than metal threads. Reason is that they 'move' to thread on and once fitted 'grip' better than perfect metal threads. It means you do not have to 'gorilla' them on !
If you have wound on and then tightened so even the DJI prop tool cannot remove them - then all I can say is you are tightening them far too much and likely to damage the hub threads.
I wind on and then give a last bit by hand to tighten. To remove - I have to grip motor well with one hand and then twist prop - its tight but have never had any need for the 'tool'. Never lost a prop in flight even with sudden stops ....
If all else fails ........... get to local hardware shop and buy a strap wrench ... its a tool used to open jars, remove oil filters etc. It has a rubber strap that goes round the item, locks back into the handle. when you put force on the handle - it tightens the strap to lock it to item and it turns. You can usually find these in various size ranges. DO NOT try to use the metal chain one ... it will damage anything its used on.
Once you get the props off ... suggest you never tighten so hard again !! Screw on till stop + small extra by hand.
If you have wound on and then tightened so even the DJI prop tool cannot remove them - then all I can say is you are tightening them far too much and likely to damage the hub threads.
I wind on and then give a last bit by hand to tighten. To remove - I have to grip motor well with one hand and then twist prop - its tight but have never had any need for the 'tool'. Never lost a prop in flight even with sudden stops ....
If all else fails ........... get to local hardware shop and buy a strap wrench ... its a tool used to open jars, remove oil filters etc. It has a rubber strap that goes round the item, locks back into the handle. when you put force on the handle - it tightens the strap to lock it to item and it turns. You can usually find these in various size ranges. DO NOT try to use the metal chain one ... it will damage anything its used on.
Once you get the props off ... suggest you never tighten so hard again !! Screw on till stop + small extra by hand.
It's not necessarily the pilot that over-torques the props. I lightly torque the props onto the motor drive shaft and invariably, at the end of flight, find them much more tightly screwed on - particularly after a turbulent flight.
No big mystery - the angular momentum of the motor is constantly working against the prop's resistance to rotate in air, causing the prop to be torqued tighter on the shaft.
Angular momentum really comes into play when a prop slams into a fixed object and STOPS, as in a crash. That's when the motor's momentum augers the drive shaft INTO the prop and you go find a pipe wrench to twist the motor out of the fused on prop.
No big mystery - the angular momentum of the motor is constantly working against the prop's resistance to rotate in air, causing the prop to be torqued tighter on the shaft.
Angular momentum really comes into play when a prop slams into a fixed object and STOPS, as in a crash. That's when the motor's momentum augers the drive shaft INTO the prop and you go find a pipe wrench to twist the motor out of the fused on prop.
Solent, any danger that the fulcrum/heel of a normal type strap wrench would dent the motor's shell?
When I used to want to remove the rotor on my bike's altenator I used a DIY version where I took a long length of straping and wound it around the rotor several times so that each turn lay on top of the preceding one. I then passed a flat bar through the eye of the strap and placed the bar on the strapping as a tangent to the rotor. I always felt that this distributed the contact forces at the fulcrum a bit more than an "off the shelf" strap wrench.
Mugenski, I know the handing has been mentioned but you are trying to turn the props towards their leading edges with respect to the motors aren't you?
When I used to want to remove the rotor on my bike's altenator I used a DIY version where I took a long length of straping and wound it around the rotor several times so that each turn lay on top of the preceding one. I then passed a flat bar through the eye of the strap and placed the bar on the strapping as a tangent to the rotor. I always felt that this distributed the contact forces at the fulcrum a bit more than an "off the shelf" strap wrench.
Mugenski, I know the handing has been mentioned but you are trying to turn the props towards their leading edges with respect to the motors aren't you?
