Advice on repair or replace shell P3P
- Thread starter jephoto
- Start date
Hey Sandman - did order the shell, just ordered some of the PlastAid. Should I avoid putting the Plastaid in the space directly under the motor? Isn't there a part of the motor that hangs down into that cavity?
I assume I want to apply the Plastid into the spaces between the ridges in the end of the arm- but maybe leave that one part empty?
Also how far down the arm do you go? Just up to the LED lights right?
I put mine evening across the bottom up to ridges. Nothing hangs down below where the motor mounts to...
Just got the new shell. Waiting for a couple of tools and the Plast Aid & Loctite still to come.
Just to be clear- now that I can see the open shell, you're saying that the motor does t hang down at all below the internal ridges on the floor of the arm. So I can fill all the spaces in between the support ridges here:
Well. Did it today. Had a friend assist. Good thing too. Took a bit under 6-1/2 hours start to finish. Made a couple of errors had to
Backtrack a couple steps.
Putting the USB port putting in the USB port was a bear. Very tight & hard to do.
Routed the compass cable out the wrong arm & almost mounted the legs across the front & back instead of the sides.
So had to loosen the main board & reroute it correctly.
Was getting tired at this point.
Then - and this is something others need to know- the compass cable needs to run along a track in the piece that snaps into the leg. I thought at first it needed to run BEHIND that piece along with the antenna wire.
Crimped that cable in 2 spots. Was afraid I messed it up- but I'm the end it was ok. But I'm concerned about it.
Yet, everything works! Took it to the park, fired it up.
Got a Homepoint lock. Flew 1/4 mile or so. Did an RTH and it returned home & landed.
Took some photos. Stitched pans.
Started to rain so my test was cut Short . In a few days I'll be able to do a real flight.
Learned a lot....
Backtrack a couple steps.
Putting the USB port putting in the USB port was a bear. Very tight & hard to do.
Routed the compass cable out the wrong arm & almost mounted the legs across the front & back instead of the sides.
So had to loosen the main board & reroute it correctly.
Was getting tired at this point.
Then - and this is something others need to know- the compass cable needs to run along a track in the piece that snaps into the leg. I thought at first it needed to run BEHIND that piece along with the antenna wire.
Crimped that cable in 2 spots. Was afraid I messed it up- but I'm the end it was ok. But I'm concerned about it.
Yet, everything works! Took it to the park, fired it up.
Got a Homepoint lock. Flew 1/4 mile or so. Did an RTH and it returned home & landed.
Took some photos. Stitched pans.
Started to rain so my test was cut Short . In a few days I'll be able to do a real flight.
Learned a lot....
Thanks for the update. I admirer your spirit. Looking forward to your pics. Walking us through your experience has help us on the forum to feel better about trying this ourselves.
I hope this all helps someone else who wants to attempt it.
A few months ago I wouldn't have attempted this. But now I feel a lot better about possible home repairs.....
My friend shot little video clips of each step we did (thought he was doing still - won't bore you with the vids) - but to prepare for my repair I watched a bunch of YouTube bids.
These two I found most helpful.
This one from Drones Made Easy was the BEST tutorial on removing the top of the shell that I found. He first lays out all the tools you need and names them, then had an excellent technique to separate the arms & block them open with spare props as shims. -Follow this and it will be as easy as it can be - even for a first timer like me. Went really well:
He's already removed the screws from the bottom, but all the steps & great tips on how to do it after the screws are out are here.
Then this one is one of the better filmed, step by step shell replacement I came across.
He wasn't as great on the top shell removal (his first time too)- didn't know about the shim trick, but the rest of it was really good.
We also found it really helpful to:
1- write down each step in order
2- keep a Post-it with a piece of doublestick tape or small box/film can with each set of screws from each step. On the post it we wrote down the type of screw and number (Phillips or Torx) and the size (Torx 6 or 8 ).
The doublestick tape was to hold the screws & keep them from rolling about. Worked well too.....
When it was time to put it together we just went in reverse, knowing which tool, how many screws and where to go.
My mistake on the compass cable was not to take enough close up shots of details like that - although I didn't know it was there....
But I advise first timers to use you phone and shoot close ups of each step, each new area and 2 views if need be. We did refer back to his shots or my photos often putting it back.
The part I found most vexing was putting BACK the USB port. It was pretty easy to take out, but getting it back into that narrow space down the front inside of the curve of the shell was difficult. It wasn't lining up the little USB port with the hole and there was no clearance behind it to manuver it into place to line up the 2 screw holes. Finally with the port almost in place - tipping forward a bit I was able to plug a USB cable in from the outside, then used the plug itself to pull it down to where I could get the screws in. That's my good tip for the next guy....
Then as I said I wasted some time by putting the compass cable in the wrong leg hole. Got that straight and did not realize that the antenna piece that snaps into the leg has a flat channel cut into one side (very shallow). From one of the vids I thought they said the Compass cable wend BEHIND the antenna snap - so very carefully laid the cable into the leg cavity & tried to force the antenna piece into the space.
Of course it would not snap in - and I was seriously crimping the cable.
Finally studied my other Phantom & figured the problem. The cable looked a bit worse for wear both at the top (going up the leg) and near the bend where it's glued into the bend at bottom of the leg. But - yesterday when I did my test, all seems well.
I am still going to replace it. I did find you can purchase a new DJI Landing Gear set - both sides, with the compass already attached to the one leg. Only $15.00 USD
Won't be too bad. I am hoping I just have to take off the top, unplug it from the main board and feed the cable out. Then feed the new one back up into the body.
At worst I may have to loosen the main board to feed it up to the top when it will plug in. But after yesterday, that won't be bad at all.....
Here is a 2 shot Pano done yesterday after the shell was put back together. With the adjusted focus lens I did last week. Processed in Lightroom. Some sharpening - as I normally would do. all in all happy with the results. I'll be able to do some better testing soon.
A few months ago I wouldn't have attempted this. But now I feel a lot better about possible home repairs.....
My friend shot little video clips of each step we did (thought he was doing still - won't bore you with the vids) - but to prepare for my repair I watched a bunch of YouTube bids.
These two I found most helpful.
This one from Drones Made Easy was the BEST tutorial on removing the top of the shell that I found. He first lays out all the tools you need and names them, then had an excellent technique to separate the arms & block them open with spare props as shims. -Follow this and it will be as easy as it can be - even for a first timer like me. Went really well:
Then this one is one of the better filmed, step by step shell replacement I came across.
He wasn't as great on the top shell removal (his first time too)- didn't know about the shim trick, but the rest of it was really good.
We also found it really helpful to:
1- write down each step in order
2- keep a Post-it with a piece of doublestick tape or small box/film can with each set of screws from each step. On the post it we wrote down the type of screw and number (Phillips or Torx) and the size (Torx 6 or 8 ).
The doublestick tape was to hold the screws & keep them from rolling about. Worked well too.....
When it was time to put it together we just went in reverse, knowing which tool, how many screws and where to go.
My mistake on the compass cable was not to take enough close up shots of details like that - although I didn't know it was there....
But I advise first timers to use you phone and shoot close ups of each step, each new area and 2 views if need be. We did refer back to his shots or my photos often putting it back.
The part I found most vexing was putting BACK the USB port. It was pretty easy to take out, but getting it back into that narrow space down the front inside of the curve of the shell was difficult. It wasn't lining up the little USB port with the hole and there was no clearance behind it to manuver it into place to line up the 2 screw holes. Finally with the port almost in place - tipping forward a bit I was able to plug a USB cable in from the outside, then used the plug itself to pull it down to where I could get the screws in. That's my good tip for the next guy....
Then as I said I wasted some time by putting the compass cable in the wrong leg hole. Got that straight and did not realize that the antenna piece that snaps into the leg has a flat channel cut into one side (very shallow). From one of the vids I thought they said the Compass cable wend BEHIND the antenna snap - so very carefully laid the cable into the leg cavity & tried to force the antenna piece into the space.
Of course it would not snap in - and I was seriously crimping the cable.
Finally studied my other Phantom & figured the problem. The cable looked a bit worse for wear both at the top (going up the leg) and near the bend where it's glued into the bend at bottom of the leg. But - yesterday when I did my test, all seems well.
I am still going to replace it. I did find you can purchase a new DJI Landing Gear set - both sides, with the compass already attached to the one leg. Only $15.00 USD
Won't be too bad. I am hoping I just have to take off the top, unplug it from the main board and feed the cable out. Then feed the new one back up into the body.
At worst I may have to loosen the main board to feed it up to the top when it will plug in. But after yesterday, that won't be bad at all.....
Here is a 2 shot Pano done yesterday after the shell was put back together. With the adjusted focus lens I did last week. Processed in Lightroom. Some sharpening - as I normally would do. all in all happy with the results. I'll be able to do some better testing soon.
I was the same way for a long time. But I have 2- P3P's, both now out of warranty. And I figure I'll be upgrading within the year as well- so why spend $200 on a repair if I can do it for 1/2 that. And I learned a lot along the way.
Next time won't be as difficult.
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