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[smenard415]

Greetings All,

Yes it finally got me too.  I kept silent.  I ignored it.  I prayed that it would not happen to me.  Well the ol' fickle finger O fate reached out and slapped my face.  My 30t sprocket 139t Falcon belt conversion failed.  I made it about 8,000 miles so I guess I was lucky.  Just returned from a 1200 mile run through the Michigan wine country so I consider myself lucky that the belt failed on a short ride 65 miles from home.

I assumed (yes I know what that means) that after so many miles perhaps my belt was special or just from a different batch then the many broken ones.   Happy to have roadside assistance and happy to have a son willing to come pick up his mom and Pop. 

Thanks to the crew at H-D of Cincinnati for taking us in on a Sunday at 1600hrs.

Anywho....anyone still selling gusset kits?  I've already emailed barefoot but just in case anybody else?  Going to have a Gates belt put on for now but looking to fix it right over the winter.

Thanks,

SteveM   

[timtoolman]

I made mi e out of just 1/2 round stock and just welded it on and added the spacer for the cam,
I would just get a stock belt vice the gates belt. And do it or wait, evidently we  that have been down this road , do know what works from experience,

[smenard415]

Thanks for the responses.  Reactivating my paypal account to send off to barefoot for his kit.  Can't weld for chit so I have to find someone in Dayton Ohio I trust to weld on my S/E.  I confess that after 4 or 5 thousand miles I was OK.  Yesterday was about 8 thousand so I guess I should just count myself lucky to have taken several 1500 mile trips without incident.

Too old for holeshots and not able to Fullsac wheelie  so I was stunned to pull away from a stoplight about two feet and have nothing.  Just snapped right in half.  cleanest brake I've ever seen.  Ken's towing in Cresent City Ky did a great job towing us and the folks at H-D of Cincinnati were very kind to us on a Sunday afternoon.

Hoping the Gates belt will get me to winter.  If anyone knows a good welder in the Dayton, Springfield, Troy Ohio area let me know.

One thing is for sure once you go with the 30t sprocket you will never go back to stock.

SteveM

[Chains]

Look no further take it to T & R welding. You can't go wrong with their work. 

Terry Bieler started the company in his garage in the late 60's. He taught me how to tig weld thin aluminum back in 1969 while he worked as a welder at Inland div of GM.

The R in the business became his partner many years later Roger. Terry sold out to Rodger in the eighties sometime. Terry had built some wicked Harleys at that shop back then. They are by far the best weld shop in the area.  Not sure who to talk to anymore but give them a shot you won't be disappointed if the do the project.

http://www.trwelding.com/

[SneakyPete]

I would just get a stock belt vice the gates belt.

I used a Falcon belt when I built my 120" motor thinking I would need something stronger than the HD 139 tooth belt.  After 2000 miles I sheared off 80% of the teeth on that belt!  Went back to the stock belt and had no issues for 70K miles.  Every once and awhile the HD stuff is better than the aftermarket.  Use the stock belt.

[MrSurly]

On a previous project on a Road King I destroyed two (2) aftermarket belts. One was a Falcon and I cant recall the other right now. I learned the hard way that the very best drive belts are made by Gates and ONLY by Gates. The HD factory belts are made by Gates (I believe ALL of them).

I am toying with the idea of doing the sprocket change (2010 CUSE5) but ONLY if the swap employs a Gates belt.
Question: Has anyone tried using an idler pulley to allow retaining the stock belt?

[2k]

Nail on the head............stock HD IS Gates.

[MrSurly]

No doubt we will be told otherwise and no doubt, there are likely 'agreements' in place that preclude the companies from formally mentioning each other's names on product labeling...
But for the skeptical, please follow these links http://ww2.gates.com/europe/news/index.cfm?id=11468&show=newsitem&location_id=253
and
http://ww2.gates.com/europe/brochure.cfm?brochure=2899&location_id=3573

[moscooter]

 
It would solve a lot of headaches if Gates would crank out a 139T belt 1' WIDE.   

[SneakyPete]

Nail on the head............stock HD IS Gates.

Don't doubt it, but the 2004 SEEG 139t belt was physically different than the Falcon I replaced it with.  The "teeth" of the Falcon did not seem to fit as deeply into the pulley grooves which caused shearing IMHO.

[MrSurly]

In some of my reading of info when I was doing the RK project I recall that gates and HD worked together and created the "Harley profile" and apparently this tooth profile is exclusive. It's not used on Gates industrial or other belts.
I'd not be surprised to find that the other brands use a slightly different profile.


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[smenard415]

greetings,

I'm just going to wait on barefoot's gusset kit and do it right.  I was worried about sending the Gates belt I ordered back but hey no worries, its on back-order anyway so my order was not run through.

Got my bike back from HD of Cincinnati and home to Piqua HD.  Since its home I just decide to do it right the first time.

Thanks all for the reply's and I'll let you all know how it works out.  Just so happens one of the mechanics here has done this before and his son is a welder.  All is good.

[smenard415]

Greetings,

barefoot is the man gussets are here already!!!  Thanks!

[Rooster]

greetings,

I'm just going to wait on barefoot's gusset kit and do it right.  I was worried about sending the Gates belt I ordered back but hey no worries, its on back-order anyway so my order was not run through.

Got my bike back from HD of Cincinnati and home to Piqua HD.  Since its home I just decide to do it right the first time.

Thanks all for the reply's and I'll let you all know how it works out.  Just so happens one of the mechanics here has done this before and his son is a welder.  All is good.

Sounds like you are set to go. We will wait your outcome.

[Dan_Lockwood]

Greetings,

barefoot is the man gussets are here already!!!  Thanks!

I bought mine from Barefoot as well.  Great guy to work with and the gussets fit great.  I did my own welding and grinding.  Took a couple hours to neat everything up and repaint the swingarm ends.

Also remember after you've ground out .200" deeper to the rear that you also use a cutoff wheel and trim the rear shock bolt mounts.  This is necessary for the now further back axle cam plate.  I knocked out about 1/8" off the front corners of the bolt bolster and that did the trick.

Out of all my mods, the 30t has been the most bang for the buck.

If anyone is interested in a brand new Falcon 139t belt, I have one that I'd sell VERY cheap........