Drive Belt Question... most likely a repeat, but it is important to me!

    Quote from Bill Martin

    Ok - I absolutely hate thinking I have to get rid of my beloved chrome pulley (many dollars) !!! Soooo I need some input from you metal experts. Would it be possible to remove the belt and use a dremel tool to just barely knock off the square ridge on each tooth. Will that damage the integrity of the pulley or cause me other problems?? Any input will be greatly appreciated

    I don’t believe you could accurately machine the pulley with a dremel tool. It is something that a machinist could rework given the proper tooling. It would not effect the integrity of the pulley.

    Quote from mniron

    I don’t believe you could accurately machine the pulley with a dremel tool. It is something that a machinist could rework given the proper tooling. It would not effect the integrity of the pulley.

    Phil is correct. You could relieve the pulley, but then the contact is compromised. To do this correctly, it would need to be machined. To machine one of these, would cost more than you paid for the pulley. Guaranteed. It would take someone to program not only the radius (that is not there now), but also the index. And it would need hand fitted at the edges of the pulley. You would be lucky to find a shop that could actually do it that would do it for less than a grand. One offs cost big..... sorry Bill. In this case, better off looking for a replacement with the correct geometry.


    In my humble opinion, you would be much better off taking a stock pulley and having it chromed (faces that show only, costs more but doable) and running that with the new belt. Best case for cost would be if someone came up with a cover that was chromed like most of the Harley guys run. A good one of those is hard to tell....

    My 2 cents... The small ridges/texture on the "top" of the drive belt are completely abraded away... This leads me to believe that you picked up some road debris and it got "stuck" between the frame or in your belt-guard for awhile. Then, it dropped off after a few miles. That would have rubbed off the "top" ribs/texture off the belt. As for the wear on the cogs of the belt -- that might depend on how much dirt-road driving you do. I do not believe that this is caused by any belt misalignment. I'm using a All-Things-Chrome rear sprocket (the larger diameter one on the rear axle) and have no issues with it.


    The only time I've seen this kind of wear on a drive belt was on a CNC mill drive belt... Some long chips spiraled up and around, rubbing the top of the belt. The smaller flying chip debris chewed the cogs on the drive side of the belt -- but in my mill application the cogs don't engage anything -- it acts more like a traditional V belt. It was easy and cheap to replace the belt on that mill (just a minute or two). The Slingshot's belt, on the other hand, is far more expensive and takes more time...


    Maybe we need an underbody "diffuser" guard to deflect debris away from the belt...

    Thanks for all the input guys - I have never bashed a vendor but now I see why All Things Chrome has vanished into thin air: Now in have a $400 paper weight :cursing: Back to the drawing board :thumbup:

    I might not be right but I can sure sound like it

    Wow. A little late to this party, but I can offer a little bit.


    Harley has been using (Gates) belts since mid 1984. I believe the replacement interval is never.


    For a while, I was selling robotic devices that used similar (Gates) belts. Replacement interval was never.


    Belt wear like that is not a fault of the belt. FYI, new one is $200 - perhaps a bit spendy, but should outlast most everything else on the rig.

    So to be clear you are saying you think the Gates belt would hold up even with the geometry issue that I have with my drive pulley ?? If yes I can’t wait to pour you a bourbon and lite you a Cohiba :thumbsup:

    I might not be right but I can sure sound like it

    No, I'm on my second belt after my angle drive took a bit big smelly shit. Only so much abuse a belt can take. Under normal circumstances, the belt should last forever. Under abnormal circumstances, a belt will behave like ... me.


    All the same, you and I are having a bourbon and a Cohiba in Clarksville this fall. And, I'll be packing some real deal serious 'shine. If you are on best behavior, I will share. If not, that's my breakfast.

    Quote from ethermion

    No, I'm on my second belt after my angle drive took a bit big smelly shit. Only so much abuse a belt can take. Under normal circumstances, the belt should last forever. Under abnormal circumstances, a belt will behave like ... me.


    All the same, you and I are having a bourbon and a Cohiba in Clarksville this fall. And, I'll be packing some real deal serious 'shine. If you are on best behavior, I will share. If not, that's my breakfast.

    BUMMER - back to having a $400 paperweight ;(

    I might not be right but I can sure sound like it