Belt ?

[White Collar]

Like what meat? What am I dealing with?

 

[Dolly Llama]

Like what meat? What am I dealing with?

hard tell from "here", Bro

I've never really looked all that close at a BL Champ anyway.

seems i recall hearing they made an engineering change on one of their smaller TMs several years ago.
i don't recall if it was the Champ or the Bluewave.
But I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the belt system config

lemmie ask, do you see a lot of black belt dust?
Which would indicate poor pulley alignment to me

or little dust and instant breaks?

if they're breaking before you see plenty belt dust accumulating, I'd "guess" it's a heat related issue


..L.T.A.

 

[Able 1]

If you can grab the shaft that the pulley is on use a pipe wrench and just work it on with a wrench... If there is two belt make sure you do them in the right order. This has worked well for me but I don't know your set up.. I did take it in, in the past and there mech. would turn the key while his finger were helping it on :shock: that there is crazy! I was only charged around $60.00 when I took mine in though so that isn't bad..

My belts were going out every 6 months but I converted to the 2.5 and it has been much better... Power twist belts are about 40.00 to 50.00 a piece but I have heard they last a long time I will use them the next time mine goes.

The other mechanic I took it to said they should be "a tad looser then a fiddle string". Whatever that meant...

 

[White Collar]

Meat.. There is alot of dust all over the top of my truckmount. So I can just use a straight edge and adjust the pulley?

Keith thanks, there is two belts only one of them broke, do I have to change both? hopefully not.

 

[Able 1]

I always change them both... On mine one of them asually takes out the other so if your not going to change them both make sure the one you leave on there isn't damaged at all.

 

[Dolly Llama]

Meat.. There is alot of dust all over the top of my truckmount. So I can just use a straight edge and adjust the pulley?

Keith thanks, there is two belts only one of them broke, do I have to change both? hopefully not.

"two" belts on the "pump"?
why?

or are you talking about the "blower" belts?

if a two belt belts, you "should" change both.
The old belt will be stretched some, the new one won't.
That's way it's best to change both

when the belts are off, turn the pulleys to see that they're turn true with no side to side wobble.
grab them and give a couple tugs up and down/side to side to be sure there's not too much bearing slop or loose pulley

yes you can use a straight edge if you have a good eye


..L.T.A.

 

[Able 1]

Oh, when you said they were going out every 5 month I just figured it was for the blower.. If it is for the water pump what is the width of the belt? I still have my original belt on my water pump with 2000 hours on it still looks good.

 

[White Collar]

To be honest I'm not sure which belt it is. Its about an inch thick..

 

[White Collar]

Not thick, width is an inch..

 

[Dolly Llama]

Oh, when you said they were going out every 5 month I just figured it was for the blower.. .

this why I thought he meant pump

I can probably do it myself but if I get it to tight or loose will it hurt the pump?

Nick, there will be 1 belt going to the pump and one or more belts in the blower.
If there's multi belts on the blower, change them as a set

g'luck


..L.T.A.

 

[KevinD]

To be honest I'm not sure which belt it is. Its about an inch thick..

Right there tells me you better take it to a shop.

 

[servicenortheast]

I'm new to this site, but I heard of it from a customer and wanted to check it out.

So I will give my little piece of advise on belts.

First of all v belts tend to track very well and although not recommended they can run out for awhile without severe damage, but perfect alignment is very important. take it apart, check for glazing (really shiny smooth v's on the belts which usually signifies slipping) and make sure there is no belt fragments left in the pulleys.

Secondly, many things can make them fail, including running a full waste water tank and having the blower suck water, or having vac set too high. BTY: is it the blower belts you are referring too?

If so they are not hard to change and usually after several hours belts tend to stretch which would cause failure, also as far as tightening you would prefer to keep about 1/2" of deflection on them. Just don't over tighten beyond that and then after 50 hours or so give them another check to take the stretch out.

Bluelines are a little tough because they are in the back and have guards and things in the way, but if you take your time and keep your bolts separate and remember where everything goes you can handle it...

And also, you can get industrial drive belts from a belt supplier local (don't tell anyone I told you this) and for FAR less money than a Distributor (me being one). Find a local bearing house and have the number handy, (like A35, AX40 or something) this is a standard belt signification and they usually have them in stock.

Saves you time and MONEY!

Hope this helps! any questions ask me! I love to help.

Nate Fisher

 

[John Olson]

Take in back in and pay the $150 which by the way is FAIR for blower belts on a champ.

 

[Greenie]

Whoa...blower belts...totally different animal.

and just for the record, a cat pump "can" have two belts, just not likely on a smaller unit.

The $150 is sounding better and better by the minute for a non-mechanic that is not sure if it's a blower or water pump he's looking at.

Effective immediately I'm raising my shop rate to $10 above John's....lol This ain't Utah.

 

[John Olson]

Yeah you Californians have to Pay "Stupid" Tax for living there so you have to charge more

 

[Doug Cox]

I'm thinking Greenie needs to get a freaking catelog if he isn't gonna update his website anytime soon. Imagine all the lost sales cause we don't know he has something we want or would want.

Couldn't agree more. Get on it Jeff!!!

 

[Doug Cox]

no way in the world 2 pump belts break in less than a year unless something is way wrong

..l.T.A.

If you say so Larry. Mine seems aligned, yet with the heat being 1/2" from the belts tends to cook them when it gets warm. I go through maybe 3 sets a year, luckily I can swap them in about an hour. Although I put the hours on them, maybe unlike you, LOL.

 

[Greenie]

It's all good, I started adding a $2 catalog surcharge to all orders, should have it done by spring.

 

[Bob Savage]

Larry's right about the pulley alignment. It is critical for utmost power transmission and belt and bearing life.

To check it with a straight-edge ruler (I use a machinist thicker steel rule straight edge), place the straight-edge, with it's edge against the outside face of the first pulley. Keeping the edge across the entire first pulley surface, slide the rule over and contact the opposite pulley (complete surface of it too).

Make sure both the pulleys contact the entire edge of the straight-edge.

That's when the pulleys are in alignment.

 

[Doug Cox]

So Bob, are you or are you not saying heat can be an issue with belts failing? Cuz I have 3 belts, and the one closest to the exhaust pipe is the one that cracks and fails first.

 

[Dolly Llama]

no way in the world 2 pump belts break in less than a year unless something is way wrong

..l.T.A.

If you say so Larry. Mine seems aligned, yet with the heat being 1/2" from the belts tends to cook them when it gets warm. I go through maybe 3 sets a year, luckily I can swap them in about an hour. Although I put the hours on them, maybe unlike you, LOL.

you change "pump" belts THREE times a year because heat related issues?

what kind of POS engineered TM is that?

I've gotten better than 3000 hours on pump belts.
I know darn well you're not turning that many hours a year.
You work solo too, don't you? So I'd guess you're not turning much more that 700 hrs a year

come on, 'fess up, Doug.
you're pressure washing at 3000PSI half those hours ain'tcha?

or you DO have something way wrong

..L.T.A.

 

[Bob Savage]

Doug,

Intense heat, as in exhaust, too close to the belts shouldn't even be part of the equation.

But if it is...

....excess heat will not do the belts any good if the heat is too close (isolate the heat somehow).

Belt heat can also be produced or amplified by incorrect pulley alignment. When pullies are NOT aligned, they create a lot of friction during the entire revolution, due to one or the other of the pulleys "twisting" the entire revolution of the belt.

 

[Greenie]

I'm not quite sure why Bob said that, but heat is well known to kill belts, lots of TMs put the belts to close to hot components, it's just not a good idea.

 

[Doug Cox]

no way in the world 2 pump belts break in less than a year unless something is way wrong

..l.T.A.

If you say so Larry. Mine seems aligned, yet with the heat being 1/2" from the belts tends to cook them when it gets warm. I go through maybe 3 sets a year, luckily I can swap them in about an hour. Although I put the hours on them, maybe unlike you, LOL.

you change "pump" belts THREE times a year because heat related issues?

what kind of POS engineered TM is that?

I've gotten better than 3000 hours on pump belts.
I know darn well you're not turning that many hours a year.
You work solo too, don't you? So I'd guess you're not turning much more that 700 hrs a year

come on, 'fess up, Doug.
you're pressure washing at 3000PSI half those hours ain'tcha?

or you DO have something way wrong

..L.T.A.

Larry- My machine is a '05 Powerclean Genesis. I also do at least 1400 hrs a year. I do no Pressure washing and my machine doesn't run over 2400 rpms.

Doug,

Intense heat, as in exhaust, too close to the belts shouldn't even be part of the equation.

But if it is...

....excess heat will not do the belts any good if the heat is too close (isolate the heat somehow).

Belt heat can also be produced or amplified by incorrect pulley alignment. When pullies are NOT aligned, they create a lot of friction during the entire revolution, due to one or the other of the pulleys "twisting" the entire revolution of the belt.

Bob-My machine has limited adjustment capabilities. The blower and pump are in a fixed position. The only possible adjustment is the pulley location on the shaft of the blower and it doesn't take much to tell whether the belts are lined up in that respect. The closest belt to the exhaust is about 3/8", maybe less. And I use Kevlar belts nonetheless.

 

[Doug Cox]

I apologize to Larry. I was speaking of Blower belts not pump belts, although I feel 3 times a year on any of the belts is excessive.

 

[Dolly Llama]

I apologize to Larry. I was speaking of Blower belts not pump belts, although I feel 3 times a year on any of the belts is excessive.

no need to apologize Doug, i'm glad you clarified though.
Blower belts are a completely different animal and take much more stress than pump belts.

1400 hours a year SOLO :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

DUDE, you ARE a workaholic!

I bet it killed you to have to take it easy for a few days after you broke your leg

..L.T.A.

 

[Doug Cox]

I did about 1800 last year Larry. I'm way lower on hours this year (due to the accident), but hopefully not much lower on income. I recovered well on the last quarter.

 

[Guest]

Again Doug,if your cooling fan is a puller it is just adding to the problem.Just reverse the wires on the fan and viola,you have a pusher.

 

[Doug Cox]

Let's clarify this Kevin. I have a fan mounted on the rear of the machine with the air blowing into the machine. Should I try the opposite or is this way you suggest? Thanks. Doug

 

[Dolly Llama]

I did about 1800 last year Larry.

you workaholic guys make me feel more inadequate than I already am....


..L.T.A.