The time is finally here…and I’m excited! Lance Seaman (hangar mate & RV-8 builder) and Dick Benner (hangar mate & Bonanza owner) helped me lift the propeller onto the Engine Mounting Flange. It took a couple hours to bolt the propeller onto the engine and initially we didn’t understand the Hartzel R-type Flange orientation until the final ¼” of tightening the bolts. All 6 bolts need to be tightened at the same time to get the hub centered and flush. Plus, there are 4 larger holes and 2 smaller holes on the Hartzel R-type flange and a “0” stenciled on the engine hub. The instructions were not clear on what this all meant, but after spending nearly two hours bolting the Propeller Hub to the Engine Flange, we realized we needed to rotate the Engine Flange one bolt-hole location to the right. Well, POOP! So, ½ hour to remove all 6 bolts and rotate the engine hub (change position of the #1 cylinder piston which was easier than to change the position of the tie-down straps attached to the propeller and my engine hoist) then 2 hours to re-tighten the 6 bolts (1/4 turn at a time)! This time it fit very nicely! I borrowed a special offset extension-tool for my torque wrench, did the calculations to adjust for the extension-tool, and torqued the bolts to the new calculated values. Whew! A job well-done with the help of my good friends!
