part # for Dayco belt 980 bigfoot

[jerrynuss]

I can't find that in a cross reference how did you do it?

[boncrshr]

I went to the gates website, The world's most trusted name in belts, hoses & hydraulics | Gates Corporation and used their parts interchange feature in the power transmission section. The first # did not show up but the second one did. However, it was listed as a truck belt??? But it did list the outside circumference as 40" or so. Even if this was not the proper variable speed belt, Dayco and Gates have quite a few snowmobile belts in this range, it would just be a little trial and error.

[jerrynuss]

I think that truck belt may be a serpentine belt. There is a belt that will fit but the engine needs to be moved back just one inch for it to give a good fit.

Salisbury 704084 is the correct belt but it is unavailable, the next closest belt is 2" longer and this is why the engine needs to be moved back by 1".

[boncrshr]

Hey Jerry,

You are probably right about that truck belt. Could anyone get me the outside circumference of that original 980 belt?? I will look at all of the belt manufacturers and see if anything matches up. The have SO many belts available I can't imagine that someone doesn't make one that would work. And going a little tighter than stock may not hurt. Anyways, I just think it would be good for future reference for any new members with a 980 that come here looking for info. This website was invaluable (still is) for me when I was lost in the initial stages of getting my Hustler going.

Thanks.

[jerrynuss]

I'll measure mine tomorrow. It is sort of hard to get off with the exhaust going out the side and the clutch is very close to the tub.

I'm wanting to change the tensioners and I have a 950 to rebuild this week. How are the experimental tensioners holding up?

[boncrshr]

Great in some cases, not good in others. When you get ready to do them, let me know and I will post some pics of the final version. I changed the locations of the front ones, they work awesome and you can install those without removing the frame. The back ones work well also but are a real knuckle buster to get in place.

And I still need to come up with something for the drive chains. I may start looking at some serpentine belt tensioners off of a Chevy. I am thinking you could use the strut channel nut on one end, and an idler sprocket on the other.

[TURNEROFFROAD]

A cool tensioner idea !

As luck would have it, a good friend of mine stopped by this weekend. He is a machine shop guy and had 6x6 for past 15 years, he has designed a "floating" tensioner for all the chains . Its basicly a spring shackle with (don't remember the proper name) that tough plastic at top and bottom, you take remove a bolt and roller off the "shackle" and slip it over both sides of the chain ( top and bottom, chain will look like a figure 8 ) and reinstall the bolt into the slotted hole and take your hand and "pull" the slack out of the chain and tighten the bolt. The amount of gap in the "shackle" tensioner needs to be short enough for it not to climb over the sprockets in forward or rev. as it rides up and down the chain. He said the ran this on a 950 Hustler for over 8 years with NO TROUBLE it sound like this would be the bomb and way too simple, he even install a 650cc bike engine and they did their job. I gotta try them on my as soon as I srounge up some of that bad boy plastic

[ArgoGirb67]

if you give me the specifics(year,serial# ect i can prob lookup the argo # and dimensions from my parts manual.EG.my 78 techumse 16hp single ,argo#125-25,1 3/16 wide x 45 3/4 O.C. the dimensions maybe more helpfull than the Argo #as i havent found a cross referance for argo other than the ski doos they made.HTH

[boncrshr]

For the teflon you need, just go to the dollar store and get a cutting board.

[TURNEROFFROAD]

well I really wanted some a bit thicker than that, but since they don't wear that much maybe that would be ok..... have you ever seen this floating tensioner design before ??

[jerrynuss]

The description sounds like this:

[TURNEROFFROAD]

The description sounds like this:

yep, thats pretty much how it loks, my buddy said he ran them for year without issue..... BTW I guess I desvribed it good huh!

[jerrynuss]

They look easy to make with a couple pieces of angle iron, plastic from a cutting board and a couple of bolts and nuts. Just notch the plastic so they stay in the groove. They would not need to be very wide just enough to get past the chain and bolts pulling the pieces together.

[Don]

Anyone know if this set-up will rob any power? It just looks to me like it may take more power away from the wheels than a simple slider or idler sprocket.

[mudbug3]

Jerrynuss ,


This looks like it would be very easy to build . You said it was basically a "spring shackle" , so does this mean that hooked springs were used on either side of this chain adjuster you mentioned ? If so , the chain would always have the tension it needed ?