Propeller hubs are large round assemblies. To tighten or loosen them on the shaft, a special wrench is need. This tool is called a spanner wrench. This wrench looks like a large "C" or "G" shape, and has a pin on the end of the "C." It has a handle to grasp. The pin is fitted into a slot or hole in the hub, and the hub is turned. The United States War Department states that the spanner wrench can be used on the blade retaining nuts as well.
The Propeller Piston Moving Tool is used on the Hamilton variable pitch propeller. The Hamilton propeller uses a hydraulic piston to change the blade pitch.This tool has an attached piston that fits into the hydraulic cylinder, and a handle that rotates a threaded rod. When the handle is rotated, the piston slides up or down the cylinder bore, changing the blade pitch. By using this tool, a mechanic can change the pitch of the blade manually, making repairs or adjustments accordingly. Pitch refers to the blade angle in relation to the main propeller shaft.
A propeller blade beam is used to manually change a propeller's pitch. This tool looks like a canoe paddle, with a slit cut into the flat wide part that goes into the water. The blade is fitted into the slit. The mechanic grasps the handle, and moves it up or down to manually change the propeller's pitch. This tool solves a problem as the blade is very difficult to rotate by hand. If a mechanic wants to use some other tool, such as large slip joint pliers, the tool may nick the blade. The propeller blade beam is specially designed so the blade can be turned easily without risk of nicking.
To fine tune the pitch angle, a protractor tool is required. An aircraft protractor tool measures degrees with extreme accurately, so its not identical to a common grade school protractor. The protractor itself is a complete circle, with a 360 degree scale. The tool has a built in level, so the main shaft can be leveled first. As the blade is rotated in the hub, the mechanic reads the degrees. This tool is very useful in calibrating and adjusting the pitch angle of every blade, since all the blades have to be at the same pitch before the propeller is turned.