Broken Belt... AGAIN!
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Pine River, MN
Broken Belt... AGAIN!
A month ago, my wife took her 2004 XL to a friends house for a few days. She parked it and spent time visiting. When she started the bike to head home and shifted into gear, the bike just revved up and didn't move. She looks down to see her belt lying on the driveway. It had a perfectly straight cut across with no visible damage. Her bike only as 22,000 miles and we decided that some low life P.O.S. vandal cut the belt with a knife while it was parked outside for three days. I changed it, and things are good... Until today.
Put my 2003 Road King Classic with 69,000 miles in the garage yesterday. Everything was fine. Started it up today, put it in gear and it only revved up and didn't move. I look down and find MY belt lying on the floor of the garage! No stone chips or holes, but there is wear on every tooth. The rear pulley is also worn on every tooth. It's round on the forward side of the teeth, but on the rearward side of the teeth, they are all worn at an angle rather than round.
Compared to the wife's Sporty, this thing is a nightmare. Pulled the bags, exhaust, rear wheel, shifter, swing arm, primary cover, clutch, sprockets, and primary case.
I ordered a new belt and rear pulley. The transmission pulley looks good, but I'm wondering with all the labor in tearing this down if I should replace the trans pulley even though it looks OK?
Also, there was a lot of oil and dirt on and around my trans pulley. Do I need a new seal?
Finally, do you have any ideas why I lost a belt? We do live on a dirt road (about 2 miles)...
Any input would be appreciated.
Put my 2003 Road King Classic with 69,000 miles in the garage yesterday. Everything was fine. Started it up today, put it in gear and it only revved up and didn't move. I look down and find MY belt lying on the floor of the garage! No stone chips or holes, but there is wear on every tooth. The rear pulley is also worn on every tooth. It's round on the forward side of the teeth, but on the rearward side of the teeth, they are all worn at an angle rather than round.
Compared to the wife's Sporty, this thing is a nightmare. Pulled the bags, exhaust, rear wheel, shifter, swing arm, primary cover, clutch, sprockets, and primary case.
I ordered a new belt and rear pulley. The transmission pulley looks good, but I'm wondering with all the labor in tearing this down if I should replace the trans pulley even though it looks OK?
Also, there was a lot of oil and dirt on and around my trans pulley. Do I need a new seal?
Finally, do you have any ideas why I lost a belt? We do live on a dirt road (about 2 miles)...
Any input would be appreciated.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
Hers sounds like a vandalism.
Yours at 69k is a bit premature, but the dirt road probably adds some wear to it. The teeth worn how they are makes me wonder if maybe the belt tension wasnt correct, causing wear and a breakage.
At least it happened at home and not out of town.
Yours at 69k is a bit premature, but the dirt road probably adds some wear to it. The teeth worn how they are makes me wonder if maybe the belt tension wasnt correct, causing wear and a breakage.
At least it happened at home and not out of town.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
Other than stone damage the most common reason for belt breakage is incorrect tension. I've had four belt drive Milwaukee bikes and only one belt damaged by a sharp stone to date. Take a deep breath, prey to all your gods, fix it and ride - life will soon feel fine once again!
Last edited by grbrown; Jul 15, 2013 at 08:34 AM.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,999
Likes: 55
From: Bay Area
Other than stone damage the most common reason for belt breakage is incorrect tension. I've had four belt drive Milwaukee bikes and only one belt damaged by a sharp stone to date. Take a deep breath, prey to all your gods, fix it and ride - life will soon feel fine once again!
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 103
Likes: 0
From: Pine River, MN
I never realized how involved changing a belt is on a touring model. Sportster was much easier.
I have uploaded a pic of my rear pulley. You can see the extreme wear on the tension side of every tooth (left side in photo), while the slack side of the teeth are nice and round.
I use the belt tensioner tool, I thought my tension was alright, but I'll make sure this time. Do I need to recheck tension after running a new belt for a while?
I have uploaded a pic of my rear pulley. You can see the extreme wear on the tension side of every tooth (left side in photo), while the slack side of the teeth are nice and round.
I use the belt tensioner tool, I thought my tension was alright, but I'll make sure this time. Do I need to recheck tension after running a new belt for a while?
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,216
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From: Central Illinois
I don't believe that wear is from the belt slipping, I believe that is from friction most likely caused by grit and other foreign substances in between the belt and pulley. Was your lower belt guard in place? If not make sure you get one in there. I am guessing the rear pulley is made of softer metal than the drive pulley which is why the rear is so worn. If the drive pulley does not show any ground out teeth, it may be OK to re-use as those pulleys are a bit of a pain to get off since H-D loctites the nut. Otherwise if it has any wear at all, change it so it does not repeat what you have right now. If you do re-use, clean it real good with very hot soapy water to make sure no grit is left on it.
If you do decide to pull the sprocket, here is a place to get the tools you will need. You will need the mainshaft bearing race tool, mainshaft sprocket wrench and the trans sprocket locking tool. They have other tools on there is you need to change the main seal on the transmission. Most likely the leak you are having is from the seal on the inner primary case. If the race on the mainshaft is grooved, you will need to replace that also. http://georges-garage.com/trans_pre_o7.htm
If you do decide to pull the sprocket, here is a place to get the tools you will need. You will need the mainshaft bearing race tool, mainshaft sprocket wrench and the trans sprocket locking tool. They have other tools on there is you need to change the main seal on the transmission. Most likely the leak you are having is from the seal on the inner primary case. If the race on the mainshaft is grooved, you will need to replace that also. http://georges-garage.com/trans_pre_o7.htm
Last edited by Guntoter; Jul 16, 2013 at 10:01 AM.
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,189
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
According to the Gates manual on these belts, that's an under tension symptom. "When a belt is too loose for the design load, the belt teeth try to climb the sides of the sprocket grooves, which dramatically increases the stresses on the belt, the belt teeth and the shafts and bearings, leading to rapid tooth wear and reduced component life."
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,016
Likes: 277
From: East Tn Foot of The Dragon
I don't believe that wear is from the belt slipping, I believe that is from friction most likely caused by grit and other foreign substances in between the belt and pulley. Was your lower belt guard in place? If not make sure you get one in there. I am guessing the rear pulley is made of softer metal than the drive pulley which is why the rear is so worn. If the drive pulley does not show any ground out teeth, it may be OK to re-use as those pulleys are a bit of a pain to get off since H-D loctites the nut. Otherwise if it has any wear at all, change it so it does not repeat what you have right now. If you do re-use, clean it real good with very hot soapy water to make sure no grit is left on it.
If you do decide to pull the sprocket, here is a place to get the tools you will need. You will need the mainshaft bearing race tool, mainshaft sprocket wrench and the trans sprocket locking tool. They have other tools on there is you need to change the main seal on the transmission. Most likely the leak you are having is from the seal on the inner primary case. If the race on the mainshaft is grooved, you will need to replace that also. http://georges-garage.com/trans_pre_o7.htm
If you do decide to pull the sprocket, here is a place to get the tools you will need. You will need the mainshaft bearing race tool, mainshaft sprocket wrench and the trans sprocket locking tool. They have other tools on there is you need to change the main seal on the transmission. Most likely the leak you are having is from the seal on the inner primary case. If the race on the mainshaft is grooved, you will need to replace that also. http://georges-garage.com/trans_pre_o7.htm
