Cub Propeller Bolts

From my last blog you may remember that I was all ready to run the new Cub engine, except for the want of proper propeller bolts. Unfortunately the Home Depot does not carry these.

Most bolts for airplanes are military spec "AN" type bolts. "AN" stands for Army/Navy and the numbers following the AN describe the bolt. An AN6 bolt is 5/16" thick with 24 pitch threads. AN6C would be stainless steel. AN6 alone would be cad plated. AN6H has a hole drilled in the head for safety wire. After the initial AN6H there is a dash and another number to describe the length of the bolt and whether the shaft is drilled for a cotter pin. For more take a look at the following link. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/anbolts.php

The bolts I needed were AN6H-32A. They were $3.75 each, and I needed and bought six. I went to the airport after work today and installed the bolts to make sure they were the right size. Tomorrow morning, I am meeting my mechanic to actually run the engine and hopeflully fly the plane. It will be interesting to see whether I am going to have to have the prop repitched or replaced. The new engine should produce more power and may spin the prop beyond safe engine parameters.