Belt slip - clutch modification???

[dirtdobber]

So I have taken the Hustler on several rides so far and in total have put maybe 10 hours of ride time on it since I built it. Although it runs great on dry hard ground it seems lacking in low end torque. I determined today the belt is slipping. I went through a mud hole and it wouldn't even spin the tires. Belt was slipping at the drive clutch. After 10 hours riding the belt is 1 1/8 wide. The engine compartment is dry as a bone - no oil or water on the belt. Engine is not lacking power.

Belt and drive clutch both were new (10 hours ago). The drive clutch is a Comet 780 from mfg. supply. Spring in driven clutch is presumably stock. It has no color other than metal brown. 20 horse opposed Briggs stock engine. Tires are rawhides, either 21 or 22's. Belt alignment is spot on. I think the belt should be a tad tighter but when I put all this together the driven clutch would spin slowly at engine idle (tighter would have made that worse, of course).

As I see it, the belt can only be as tight as the drive and driven clutches will bite it. will heavier weights in the drive clutch, and the famous red spring in the driven, give me more bite on the belt?

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

[Mike]

I'm not very familiar with Hustlers but I do remember others saying that some models did not allow for any belt tensioning. Do you have a way to tighten the belt? If not, you may have to modify the engine mount so that you can adjust the belt tension. There are a few threads where members have posted photos of the way they modified their engine mounts if that would help?

[racerone3]

I'm not very familiar with Hustlers but I do remember others saying that some models did not allow for any belt tensioning. Do you have a way to tighten the belt? If not, you may have to modify the engine mount so that you can adjust the belt tension. There are a few threads where members have posted photos of the way they modified their engine mounts if that would help?

[AussieMax]

You might need heavier weights or lighter springs on the primary. If the weight is too light it will shift off early. Does it reach full speed of the trail? It sounds more like clutch setup rather than belt slip, it will feel like belt slip if the clutch downshifts too easily

[dirtdobber]

Mike - Fortunately I did build an adjustable engine mount. Unfortunately that opposed engine leaves very little clearance between it and the tub. I will replace the belt and probably tighten it a bit.

Aussie - It will run fast off the trail and on hard ground. I don't expect it to run fast in the sand/mud but it should have more torque than it does. I know the belt is slipping because I watched it yesterday. I was in some soft ground and it would not produce the torque to either pull me through or spin the tires and get me stuck. I raised the hood and watched the drive clutch slip on the belt at WOT. It wouldn't bite the belt hard enough to overcome all the resistance. Plus, the fact that I've lost 1/16 off the width of the belt in 10 hours of riding tells me it didn't just start slipping yesterday.

I shot a short video of the slip, but I haven't figured out how to load it yet.
Thanks for the input guys.

[ARGOJIM]

Perhaps someone like Raceone3 or Dan67 Could give you an approximate center to center distance so you know where to start, if the spring is brown it may well be a 2 stroke spring ( that would be weaker than a 4 stroke spring) but shouldn't cause slipping.

The driven may spin slightly at idle with proper adjustment but shouldn't push the machine with the sticks forward. Neutral would still need to be found by centering the sticks.

[Delduck]

The heading explains it. Max4 brand new belt 48 min driving belt ripped to shreds. It squeeled for maybe 3 min before it went, new clutch stuck open. What now?

[ARGOJIM]

As far as the clutch, you can try with one hand on either side squeezing the face closed, be sure to keep any of your skin outside of the opening as it will snap to the open position. If that doesn't work a pair of pry bars carefully will do the same.

[dirtdobber]

Delduck, I have lost track of the machine types. The max IV - is this the same machine we have been discussing regarding the slow ground speed, or is this a different machine?
I think it would be helpful to have some pics of your clutch setup, particularly belt alignment. If you can, take a pic sighting down the belt, through the pulley sheaves, like this:
20160718_211332[1].jpg
Let's see what your alignment looks like.

[Delduck]

I managed to get one picture up in the gallery but that was by luck, I am trying to get some more up. It does make it a lot easier when you can see it. Based on your pic which is a different setup my belt is the opposite, the ribs are down in the clutch housing. It's in 6x6 around the world I think.