Beating a dead horse

[anotheramature]

Guys and gals, I have read all the belt deflection post several times and can't seem to get it. If I put a straight edge between the drive and driven laying on top of the belt I and push one side of the belt inward I have one inch travel. Now is that the way I need to measure deflection, or do I pinch the belt between the clutchs and deflection is distance between belt when pinched?

[hydromike]

There's no shame in making sure you're doing something right. Measure belt deflection by just pressing down on the top of the belt at the mid point between the clutches (basically, the "straight edge" method you describe above). I don't think there's a guideline on how hard you should push to get that amount of deflection; just use light pressure. Don't worry about getting it right at one inch or you'll drive yourself nuts.

[Nubs]

I don't think belt deflection is the way to be 100% sure, marking the faces of both clutches with a fat black marker and letting the clutches shift a time or two and then looking to see where the marker rubs off. a new belt will deflect different then a used one

[Canadian_Zuk]

I don't think belt deflection is the way to be 100% sure, marking the faces of both clutches with a fat black marker and letting the clutches shift a time or two and then looking to see where the marker rubs off. a new belt will deflect different then a used one

This is how I do it as well. You get so much information from a little black line. This method lets you know where on the primary face the belt is engaging, how high it climbs at WOT and how far down into the secondary it shifts.

[thebuggyman1]

My favorite method is the trial and error one. I over tighten, then back it off a little at a time, just until you can shift at idle. Tighter IS better....until it hampers shifting and/or runaway machine at idle. Rubber engine mounts also produce a time lag sloppyness in the clutch shifting pattern, essentially creating a belt condition of more loose than it should be.

[Noel Woods]

I always think of belt deflection is like walking the plank on a pirate ship, but instead of a falling off point just use the mid point on the belt where its halfway between the clutches, measure the deflection from there.

Also check out your belts appearance, if you see glazing, replace it, if you see frays in the material, replace it.

Its a big pain in the rear to have to switch out a belt in a machine in the middle of a swamp or on the side of a hill. I always save my old belts and keep them in the machine as a backup, and yes, you will have to go to the back-up belt at some point.

[wfo]

not me I call Roy at quality drive give him my exact center distance and width he does the rest, it fits perfect, it squeals for about 50 miles and then its good to go, when i need
to replace it I cut it off and install the new one, never waste my time saving an old one.

[anotheramature]

Let me see if I have all this right, I have new clutches and new belt and I want to set it up as close to correct as I can I can mark both clutches with a marker on faces and run thru shifts a few times and the marker should be gone on all four faces. if any marker is left on the face of the clutches I slide my engine accordingly?

[Nubs]

yes the goal is to make sure the belt shifts all the way to the top of the drive and all the way to the bottom of the driven at full RPM's, if the belt tops out on the drive clutch and fails to reach the bottom of the driven you would need to move the engine out. if bottoms in the driven and not the drive it needs to slide closer together