Required for cytoplasmic pre-assembly of axonemal dyneins, thereby playing a central role in motility in cilia and flagella. Involved in pre-assembly of dynein arm complexes in the cytoplasm before intraflagellar transport loads them for the ciliary compartment. Localizes exclusively in the cytoplasm but not in flagella. Paralyzed flagella, leading to a loss of motility. Electron microscopy image averages show that a density is missing from the inner dynein arms region in axonemes, which probably accounts for the paralyzed phenotype. Belongs to the PIH1 family. Kintoun subfamily.