Aqua Clear HOB MOD - propeller replacement

[Jeff G.]

A.C. started rattling about a month ago. It's been in service for a very long time. Took the motor apart, cleaned it all up. The propeller shaft was well worn. Thinking I could get a replacement but heck there is a bunch of motors laying around in storage. So....

I must have tried 6 or 7 propeller shafts - small canister motors, no go, various sizes of cirulation pumps, no go. Most the same length, all just a little bit larger in diameter. No other parts interchangeable so I was left with two choices. 1, purchase a replacement. 2, drill out the magnet and seats to accept the larger propeller shaft.

So, I went for it. Carefully drilling out the magnet and the shaft seat in the motor housing. Put it all back together, test run went great. Installed HOB, primed it, and now working like a champ. No rattle!

 

[Cory]

Nice work, did you have to use a drill press, and what type of bit went through the magnet correctly?

 

[Jeff G.]

The drill bit used is for drilling steel. It was new and sharp. Found one in the drawer that perfectly matches the new shaft diameter. No press was used. It was pretty darn easy. The bit went right through with no trouble. I think its all plastic and the magnet was soft. Dont think it was an earth magnet. The new hole is just barely larger than the old hole. Probably just a couple thousands of an inch.

The biggest concern was drilling the propeller itself. The plastic seemed very thin. The drill went through like a butter knife through warm butter without any issue.

 

[Paintguy]

I had one that the plastic end that the shaft goes into was worn on the outside.. a strip of duct tape and it was all snug again.