21 year old drive belt?
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 181
Likes: 1
From: Minnesnowta
I have 88,000 on what I assume is an original belt on my 98 FLHTC. This spring I'm taking off the inner and outer primary to fix a seal leak and stripped shifter lever, so I'm going check the belt and pulleys. Hopefully the pulleys are fine but do have plans on changing the belt, I'm also inclined to change out the stator while I'm in there. Anything else I should look for?
Club Member
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 5,826
Likes: 7,852
From: SE Louisiana
what's rim guards?
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 23
From: Summit, Mississippi
Take a good look at the belt often, especially if it's got a lot of age on it. Snapping and breaking is usually a sign of misalignment. I have never had a belt break, but I have a good story about their durability and what you should watch for. If the belt is that old and has not broken by now....chances are it won't. What you need to do is keep a good eye on the belt teeth. If you see any signs of cracking.....better get it replaced.
I had some teeth break off tooling down the interstate passing an 18-wheeler. I thought the bottom-end had fell out of the bike. When I coasted it down to the shoulder, I discovered I had ripped-off a section of teeth about 6-inches long and it was just runing across the pullies. Well....it's a trailer case...right. NO, I got this hair-brain idea and if I could get all the teeth stripped off....I may just make it home some 175 miles out. I tightened up the belt...rode it and broke off more teeth. I repeated the process and eventually got all the teeth ripped off the belt. Then it started raining. I would stop every few miles and tighten the belt. The belt would slip if too much throtle was applied and the rain didn't help either. I made it home in the wee hours of the morning and the next day I removed the belt, which was about as thin as a dime....but it never broke.
Dry-rot is the worst enemy and it will start to show first in the teeth. This was the first year for the belt...on an 86 Softail. I've never had a problem since on any other bike I've owned. I did have a friend that had the stealership change a leaking cleave-block and he broke three belts until they finally fixed the swing-arm alignment problem. These are the only two issues I've had or heard about a breaking belt. Dry-rot and misalignment.
I had some teeth break off tooling down the interstate passing an 18-wheeler. I thought the bottom-end had fell out of the bike. When I coasted it down to the shoulder, I discovered I had ripped-off a section of teeth about 6-inches long and it was just runing across the pullies. Well....it's a trailer case...right. NO, I got this hair-brain idea and if I could get all the teeth stripped off....I may just make it home some 175 miles out. I tightened up the belt...rode it and broke off more teeth. I repeated the process and eventually got all the teeth ripped off the belt. Then it started raining. I would stop every few miles and tighten the belt. The belt would slip if too much throtle was applied and the rain didn't help either. I made it home in the wee hours of the morning and the next day I removed the belt, which was about as thin as a dime....but it never broke.
Dry-rot is the worst enemy and it will start to show first in the teeth. This was the first year for the belt...on an 86 Softail. I've never had a problem since on any other bike I've owned. I did have a friend that had the stealership change a leaking cleave-block and he broke three belts until they finally fixed the swing-arm alignment problem. These are the only two issues I've had or heard about a breaking belt. Dry-rot and misalignment.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,202
Likes: 3,089
From: NW AR
On the way home from work one day, I stopped to see if a broken down shovelhead (SHOCK) needed any help. He had an enclosed belt primary. He was pulling belt teeth out with some needle nose pliers from the adjustment hole. His plan was to remove all the teeth, crank up the tensioner and ride the couple miles home. I offered to get my truck and gave him my phone number if he needed it. He never called so I assume he made it. Must have rode like an automatic with a torque converter.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,503
Likes: 3,729
From: Santa Klaus County, Cali
Repalced the belt on my 84 FLH when I bought it for 'peace of mind' only. Still have the original one; still looks in very good shape. Belt on my 88 FLSTC shows no sign of needing to be replaced.
Don't ride either bikes hard or crazy though.
Don't ride either bikes hard or crazy though.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 23
From: Summit, Mississippi
On the way home from work one day, I stopped to see if a broken down shovelhead (SHOCK) needed any help. He had an enclosed belt primary. He was pulling belt teeth out with some needle nose pliers from the adjustment hole. His plan was to remove all the teeth, crank up the tensioner and ride the couple miles home. I offered to get my truck and gave him my phone number if he needed it. He never called so I assume he made it. Must have rode like an automatic with a torque converter.
Good thing for that guy he only had a few miles to get home. I'm tellin' ya'....those things are tougher than they look. When all the teeth get stripped... the ridges on the pulley's hold the belt in place. The struggle is to keep it tight and you have to stop every few miles and tighten-up the rear end. Slipped a good bit going up hills (in the rain), but it made it on home. I don't know how much farther I could have made it, but it was a wonderful feeling and one he!!-of-a-relief to ride into my garage at 2AM in the morning.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,476
Likes: 23
From: Summit, Mississippi
I could not take issue with those causes either. I've seen plenty of small BB sized holes in belts and the riders continue to ride oblivious to the prospects of one breaking. I've been lucky maybe, but I am also a "stealership avoider" like thousands of others on the forum here. They always insist the pulleys be changed with the belts, which doubles the price of the deal and I never have changed a pulley. 15-16 belt driven Harleys over the past 25-or-so years and have never changed one due to wear. To change gearing...yep, but not due to wear. But....then again, I've never broken a belt either. You know what they say....anything that can happen will happen.
I guess those temporary belts were either useless or never caught-on. I've not looked around for one, but you don't seem to see any advertisements for them either.
I guess those temporary belts were either useless or never caught-on. I've not looked around for one, but you don't seem to see any advertisements for them either.
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