Hello new Harley owner and I need a little help. Trying to check my drivebelt to see if it needs adjustment. Have manual and the tool. Bike is on stand, placed the tool in front of the dust cover, and applied pressure. My question is this the belt is at the very bottom of dust cover before I apply pressure. It maybe 3/8 of an inch from the bottom mark on the cover, kind of hard to get a reading, am I doing something wrong? The bike is a 2005 road king with 12,000 miles on it. I changed all of the fluids and checked things out, I have some mechanical ability but new to bikes.

 

The gauge you are using should have a lip on it that is longer than the flat base that goes against the belt.
You should be able to put the gauge on the belt with this lip showing through the window on the rock guard.

|__ This is how the top of the tool should look. The horizonal part goes on the belt. The vertical arm should be visible through the window on the rock guard, and should fall with in the range of the marks on the window. If you still can't see the vertical bar of the tool through the window, try rolling the bike until you can see one of the lugs on the belt through the window, and use the top point of the lug as your reference point in relation to the marks on the belt guard.

Or, you can make a new top part for the tool that has a longer vertical arm. Just unscrew the original from the tool, and bend a light piece of flat steel 90*, drill a hole in the horizonal base to match the tool and mount it on the tool.

Hope this makes some sense.


Bill

 

You can also remove the belt cover and hold 6" scale against the swing arm to get and accurate adjustment.

 

thanks for the info, the problem i had was that the horizontal part of the tool seemed to wide for the veritical arms to fit between the guard and the belt. I was toward the rear wheel of the window. Then I moved in front of window and cover and had a little trouble. When the bike is sitting there with no pressure from the tool I cannot see the belt at all. I will roll the bike and see if the lugs are visible.