iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Installation of new band wheel V-belts

Started by Jeff, October 28, 2005, 12:36:24 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Jeff

I know I have seen something on this in the past, but can't seem to find exactly what I am looking for. 

I think its time I changed the belts on my LT30 blade wheels. I had new ones doeliverd this week. Whats the procedure for getting the old ones off and the new ones on? MAN! they are on there tight. I have a little sawing to do yet tomorrow and I am hesitant about cutting the old belts off (just in case) but It doesnt look like I can flip them off.   ANy suggestions before i just jump into it?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Murf

If you're going to break a law..... make sure it's Murphy's Law.

IL Bull

I am in the same boat.
They look like you may need new words. smiley_furious
Case Skid Steer,  Ford Backhoe,  Allis WD45 and Burg Manual Sawmill

Gilman

Are you talking about the blade tires Jeff?

Maybe the older ones were tight, but the new ones are really loose.  How do the replacements match up to the ones on the mill?
WM LT70, WM 40 Super, WM  '89 40HD
Cat throwing champion 1996, 1997, 1999. (retired)

Jeff

I am sure the ones that I got are not going to be loose. the ones that are in there are "form fitting".  I remebmer reading somewhere about how they have to be lubed or something, and then rolled up over into the goroove somehow. I just want to make sure I dont mess them up.  Yea, I could call support but I didnt have to look this number up. I know there are a couple hundred Wood-Mizer guys out there that have the answer. :)
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

DouginUtah

 
I can foresee that you are going to be asked what number of belt you received.

Are they B56 or B57s?

I have in my notebook: "B56 => 85590 Goodyear - Looser"

Don't remember just what all that means.  :(

-Doug
-Doug
When you hang around with good people, good things happen. -Darrell Waltrip

There is no need to say 'unleaded regular gas'. It's all unleaded. Just say 'regular gas'. It's not the 70s anymore. (At least that's what my wife tells me.)

---

Jeff

Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Brad_S.

Having never seen the WM wheels up close, I'm not sure this pertains, but on the Timber Harvester, here's what I do.

Using an old chisel, I pound it into the belt to cut through and pull the old one off. I put the new one on in the groove as far as I can and use vise grips at 10 and 2 o'clock to keep it clamped in the groove. Using either 2 small wonder bars or very heavy duty screw drivers, I slip one under the belt. I twist the belt so that when it rolls off the bar, it will seat correctly in the groove. I then lift the belt with the pry bar at twelve o'clock and use the second bar at 11 and 1 o'clock to work the belt off the 1st bar. Usually it flips off the end right into the groove, but sometimes it doesn't straighten out like I planned and I have to use a smaller screw driver to pry under the twist and coax it into position. A light tap with a hammer gets the belt seated uniformly around the wheel.

When all goes right, it takes about 10 minutes of futzing around. I never lubed but I don't know that it would help that much any how. I hope the explanation made sense, it's a whole lot easier to see it done than explain it.
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

Jeff

Brad, your description is pretty much what I have pictured in my mind on how this will go. Only you make it seem even harder. :D
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

johnjbc

Mine are B57 and I don't remember having any problems changing them. In some of the earlier posts someone was using B56 and had to cut them off. I believe the flapping of the looser belt keeps sawdust from building up under the belt.
LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

Brad_S.

John, there is no way sawdust can get under the belts on my set up. If WM set up is the same, it's just way too tight!

Jeff,
Some times its super easy, other times I could make a sailor blush as I blow off steam. ;D
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." J. Lennon

johnjbc

LT40HDG24, Case VAC, Kubota L48, Case 580B, Cat 977H, Bobcat 773

Tom

B56's will be tight and most likely need to be cut off.
B57's that have had a petroleum product used as a lubricant may also be tight and need to be cut off.

B57's are normally very loose and will slide on and off with no problem at all.

Before you decide to change them.  look at the rim of the bandwheel.  If there is a shiny spot anywhere it means that your band is coming into contact (metal to metal) with the wheel.  That is the indication that the band needs changing. (breaking bands abnormally is a good reason to check this)   As long as it is high enough to prevent this intimate contact, you are probably OK. 

I spent many, many dollars in the beginning changing belts because I was so concerned that the crown was gone.  It wasn't.  I ended up putting those old belts back on and running them for ages. (I seldom throw anything away).  Wood Mizer probably wondered where I had gone to when their sale of belts dropped off.  :D :D

sparks

Jeff you'll have to cut the old ones off. The new B57 will slip right on. Remember to rotate them every 50 hrs.   Thanks
\"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.\" Abraham Lincoln

Jim_Rogers

And while either of the belts are off, for rotation or changing to new ones, check the groove for excess sawdust buildup.
Sometimes some sawdust will get under the belt and make a lump. This sawdust build up is usually the cause of some vibration.
If you have a built up take a short handled screw driver and break it out and make sure it's clean all the way around, both wheels.
Also, check the v-part of the belt when rotating from one wheel to the other for sawdust build up on that part. It can happen depending on the types of wood you're sawing.
B-57's should slide right on, without any tools needed to pry them on, as I remember it.

Also, carry a spare or old one (that's in good shape) with you to road jobs because if a blade breaks it can cut the v-belt and damage it, the belt can get cut while the wheel is coasting to a stop after a blade has broken.
I always carry one or two new ones with me in my "box of spare parts" on road jobs.
Good luck.
Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

woodmills1

B57 easy no problem     B56 have fun, though that is what I use and they seem to last much longer.
James Mills,Lovely wife,collect old tools,vacuuming fool,36 bdft/hr,oak paper cutter,ebonic yooper rapper nauga seller, Blue Ox? its not fast, 2 cat family, LT70,edger, 375 bd ft/hr, we like Bob,free heat,no oil 12 years,big splitter, baked stuffed lobster, still cuttin the logs dere IAM

Jeff

Tom, I am changing them because when you was here, you looked at them you said it was about time to change them, well, actually one. The drive wheel. No shiney spots yet. :)

Question: the idle wheel really lookes pretty good. Does it matter if I change just the one and keep the other new belt for a spare? Or should both belts be changed together?
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Tom

I would change both just so that I knew where I was starting off.


I've usually changed them in  Pairs but see no reason to make that a rule.   Hang'em on a hook in the barn.  You might need to come back to them one day. :)

One thing to remember about the belts used as tires is that they have never had a strain put on them and have a lot of life left as a pulling belt.   If you build something that needs a belt, Keep these in mind and make your machine of a size to take advantage of them.   I have one on a window fan in the barn right now.   

If I thought they were getting close to needing to be changed, they must've been awful flat.  :D
I'll run'em right down to a nubben.  It keeps the dollar bills in my moldy wallet.  :D

FeltzE

I run B56s awfully tight and always a challange to get on, easy to get off with a knife...

B57's will slop right on 10 seconds or less..

Eric

woodbowl

Browning or Goodyear B57 belts are the only ones recomended by WoodMizer, as of a few years ago. I had called them to ask because I was running a tight B56. I didn't have any problems with the B56, I just wanted to do what was recomended for a comparison test. I've been runnung B57's since. I still don't know which I prefer. B57's are easy to inspect. The occasional sawdust lump in the groove is not a problem to remove. Jeff, I've never had to cut a B56 off my wheels. Drive a screwdriver along side the belt and pry a little. With another screwdriver do the same thing an inch or so over. Continue to walk both screwdrivers untill the belt gathers enough slack to fold over the lip of the pully. Keep the old belt because in a year or so it will thicken a little bit, and you can put then back on for more use.  ;)
Full time custom sawing at the customers site since 1995.  WoodMizer LT40 Super Hyd.

Rockn H

Several of the WM around here run a Gates B57.  Can't tell any difference.  I normally run a 57, but I tried a 56 once and it went on without much difficulty.  I always find it funny the in this type of application the belts shrink instead of stretching, but then it doesn't take much to entertain me. ;)

iain

When i've got the belts orff,  i always give a brush around the groove with a wire brush, nice and clean (but it dont move the dust lump)



  iain

Kirk_Allen

As far as the brands of belts, According to WM they told me that ONLY Goodyear belts have a seemless connection.  The other brands have a small ridge at the connection point of the belt.  I know the Gates I looked at had that and I can only assume that small ridge or bump would cause vibration. 


bhub

I have a hudson oscer 30. It came with polyurethane tight belts.  I had problems with the oil that coats wm blades.  The oil built up and saturated the belts. I could use my saw dry but the moment I turned on the water the blade flew off.  I checked with wood mizer and they said that they switched to rubber loose belts because of problems with poly belts.  The belts were one of the sales features
of the hudson. Hudson recommended the loose rubber belts..
bhub

Rockn H

Kirk, I read the same recommendation in my manual.  Along with Dayco and Browning , but when I went to my parts store for belts they were already keeping the Gates B57 instock for some of the other mills around here.  None of the Recommended brands to be found.  I also noticed the joint, but gave them a try and could not detect any vibration.  On the last few that I have bought I have noticed the joint is no longer there.  Now if I could only get a 2BX74 locally without having to get the industrial shops to order them.

Kirk_Allen


Rockn H

It is the double 1/2" drive belt.  From the motor to the driven pulley (tire).  On my 24hp.

woodbowl

Quote from: Rockn H on October 30, 2005, 11:44:18 AM
It is the double 1/2" drive belt. From the motor to the driven pulley (tire). On my 24hp.
Mine used to be a one piece, double belt also. 3 years later it still runs, but now it is a two piece double belt.  ;D
Full time custom sawing at the customers site since 1995.  WoodMizer LT40 Super Hyd.

Thank You Sponsors!