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Author Topic: Belt not riding true in rear drive  (Read 3470 times)

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longlast

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Belt not riding true in rear drive
« on: November 28, 2020, 10:30:12 AM »

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

I've been trying to get the belt off from riding to the left of the rear drive pulley. I've been taking alignment from the centre of the swing arm shaft to the centre of the rear wheel axle (with a home made measurement rod) but the belt still rides to the left.
There's a bit of play between the flat on the right adjustment cam and the flat on the axle.

I'm wondering if that bit of play maybe putting the wheel slightly out of alignment (front of wheel pointing to the right) make the belt ride to the left I've tried to compensate for the slackness on the cam flat to axle flat but it still rides to the left.

Any thoughts that I'm overlooking/should check 

I did find the swing arm to be higher on the left then on the right about 3/4mm that I corrected buy adjusting the top motor alignment dog bone. That didn't make any difference.

Anyone else had this issue. I'm sort of at a loss getting this belt to centre.
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rayson56

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #1 on: November 28, 2020, 11:45:40 AM »

I think you'll find that in a forward motion your belt will ride to the left and in a rearward motion to the right. I believe it's the nature of the beast, unless you're down under in Australia then I believe it's the opposite. lol

If that is not correct I'm sure someone here can offer a better explanation.
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Twolanerider

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2020, 02:16:01 PM »

You're good Pete.  No problem there.  The pulley has walls to limit how much the belt walks from side to side.  Inside that limit you're fine.  It must be winter roads early on your side of the pond if you're looking that hard to find something work on!
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #3 on: November 28, 2020, 02:54:18 PM »

I think you'll find that in a forward motion your belt will ride to the left and in a rearward motion to the right. I believe it's the nature of the beast, unless you're down under in Australia then I believe it's the opposite. lol

If that is not correct I'm sure someone here can offer a better explanation.

Thanks for that input  :2vrolijk_21:

I hadn't really thought of checking it after a reverse ride as they're usually very short ones  and I never get to go down under  :P
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2020, 03:18:59 PM »

You're good Pete.  No problem there.  The pulley has walls to limit how much the belt walks from side to side.  Inside that limit you're fine.  It must be winter roads early on your side of the pond if you're looking that hard to find something work on!

Cheers Don,  Now you mention it I hadn't really thought about the belt walking from side to side it always on the left side whenever I see it so I figured that's were it rides so I thought I'd try on centering it up.

As for winter roads we have wet conditions day after day this time of year frost at night wet and overcast during the day.
So yup I'm nitpicking things to work on on top of it we're in Covid lock down.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2020, 03:26:31 PM by longlast »
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Twolanerider

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2020, 03:39:37 PM »

Cheers Don,  Now you mention it I hadn't really thought about the belt walking from side to side it always on the left side whenever I see it so I figured I'd work on centering it up.

As for winter roads we have wet conditions day after day this time of year frost at night wet and overcast during the day.
So yup I'm nitpicking things to work on on top of it we're in Covid lock down.

So it was good fortune you asked rather than just start down the slippery slope.  I have epically failed avoiding that slippery slope with parts orders made just this morning.

My old FXR had a rocker box gasket leaking. It's an Evo.  Their rocker box gaskets leak.  It's what they do.  It gives all indications of being an engine that's never been touched.  And it's been ridden almost as much in the two years I've had it as it's been in its almost 20 years before that.  So of course it was going to start leaking.  Few bucks worth of gaskets and we're good?  Right....

Yeah, right....

Noooo, I had to "think about it."

Well, I says to myself, "since you're going to be in there...."    Gawd, that's a statement that's always expensive.  Maybe not as bad as "hi there, would you like to go out" but it's an expensive statement.  We know it is.  If only we could help ourselves.

So rocker box gaskets on an approximately 30,000  Evo engine turns in to, "well Don, if the top is off the pushrods come out, so you might as well do the lifters and cam bearing."   So then we're done?  Right? 

Oh hell no......

Once that far then it's, "well Don, if it's off in you're hand anyway might as well stick an EV27 in it and the steel breather gear, and the cam seal too, right?" 

Then you'd think there's nothing left to do right?  Gotta be done?  What's left?

"Well Don, you remember the only things you didn't refresh when you resurrected the old bike are those other seals.  Remember?  Uh, we should do those too?  Right?"

So primary seal, starter shaft seal, shift shaft seal, left side crank seal, tranny mainshaft seal, the little 5th gear seal, primary adjuster shoe, it's all coming.  Gawd I'm a dumass. 
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Unbalanced

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2020, 03:59:34 PM »

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

I've been trying to get the belt off from riding to the left of the rear drive pulley. I've been taking alignment from the centre of the swing arm shaft to the centre of the rear wheel axle (with a home made measurement rod) but the belt still rides to the left.
There's a bit of play between the flat on the right adjustment cam and the flat on the axle.

I'm wondering if that bit of play maybe putting the wheel slightly out of alignment (front of wheel pointing to the right) make the belt ride to the left I've tried to compensate for the slackness on the cam flat to axle flat but it still rides to the left.

Any thoughts that I'm overlooking/should check 

I did find the swing arm to be higher on the left then on the right about 3/4mm that I corrected buy adjusting the top motor alignment dog bone. That didn't make any difference.

Anyone else had this issue. I'm sort of at a loss getting this belt to centre.


When I had the PM wheels on the RK I also had an issue with the belt,  note it is the wider belt.   Had to get these shims to move the pulley out.  Don’t recall if these cam from PM or Tucker Rocky

Bottom left was 1.57 mm

Top left the thick shim was 3.1 mm

The two on the right were 1.5 mm

these corrected the alignment issue I had and the belt tracked true. 

Still seems to walk a little funky when I Fred Flintstone the bike backwards.   I just hear it.
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Aussie

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2020, 04:15:48 PM »

I adjust my belt using the swing arm pivot centre to rear axle, belt seems to walk side to side.
It’s mostly on a different side when I pull over and check it’s tracking.
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2020, 07:19:50 PM »



When I had the PM wheels on the RK I also had an issue with the belt,  note it is the wider belt.   Had to get these shims to move the pulley out.  Don’t recall if these cam from PM or Tucker Rocky

Bottom left was 1.57 mm

Top left the thick shim was 3.1 mm

The two on the right were 1.5 mm

these corrected the alignment issue I had and the belt tracked true. 

Still seems to walk a little funky when I Fred Flintstone the bike backwards.   I just hear it.

Seeing this reminded me I did think of a shim today when I was looking it over and contemplating how to sort it out this has reminded me of thinking of it.

This pulley isn't the original pulley. I'll contact my local see if I can get a shim. I'll try the 1.5mm

Like Don said,..think I'm done, think so,..hell no,..think I'll look into this seeing as I'm here

Cheers for the input  :2vrolijk_21:
« Last Edit: November 28, 2020, 07:21:21 PM by longlast »
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #9 on: November 29, 2020, 10:11:43 AM »

I'm like a old junkyard dog with an old bone I just can't let it go.

I think I've found the problem why the belt keeps riding on the left side of the pulley.

Looking at the adjusting cam for the right side on the edge of the cam that contacts the block on the swingarm and comparing it to the weld cam on the left. The left cam edge is flat and sits flush with the block on the swingarm but the right cam has a taper were it was punched out and the edge was not squared off.

Therefore while chewing on the old dog bone I'm thinking the cam is setting the wheel axle back just enough to off set the wheel that the belt rides to the left of the pulley.
So I put the the old tightly between my teeth and started removing  0.50mm and squaring up the cams containing edge to the swingarm block the right axle will be 0.019.5 inches less then before  I'll see if that squares the belt up. Got to wait for the weather to clear up now for the roads to dry out.

Rough sketch of cam and contact point of swingarm block.
I'd be happy if it's just 0.010inches clearance  :drink:
« Last Edit: November 29, 2020, 10:14:51 AM by longlast »
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Twolanerider

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #10 on: November 29, 2020, 11:21:55 AM »

The old style adjusters that allowed adjusting each side individually did give more control on the side to side.  Of course it also left a place for mistakes to happen.  The eccentric cams are quicker, easier, more idiot proof but can be less precise side to side.  The belt will move a bit side to side.  So long as the variance doesn't exceed a tolerance enough that things are being stressed or torn up I've learned to liv....   

Ah hell,if the weather was crappy in the year of The Rona with not a damn thing otherwise to do I'd be out there chasing perfection too....  Go for it mate!  :drink:
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timo482

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #11 on: November 29, 2020, 11:04:22 PM »

i read somewhere that its supposed to run "just" against the left side of the pulley. not hard against it. so if its not wearing id ignore it. the front sprocket has room for a 1.5 wide belt with room to wonder a bit.
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #12 on: November 30, 2020, 05:04:53 AM »

i read somewhere that its supposed to run "just" against the left side of the pulley. not hard against it. so if its not wearing id ignore it. the front sprocket has room for a 1.5 wide belt with room to wonder a bit.

The belt does have rubbing signs on the edge of the belt. The belt is definitely up against the lip of the pulley. If I can get just a 0.010 clearance I'd be happy.
I did a Google on Harley Davidson belt tracking and this one comment came up.

"The belt should always track to the outside of the front and rear pulleys. If you roll the bike backwards it will track to the inside and sometimes squeak as well. This is normal because Harley Davidson designs a slight angle in the transmission pulley mounting to keep the belt tracking to the outside."
« Last Edit: November 30, 2020, 05:08:19 AM by longlast »
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2020, 05:56:54 PM »

Its been raining for a week and a half now it turned into this this morning I'm not going to get that test ride in now to see if the belt is of the lip of the pulley. I don't know how long before the weather clears hopefully it clears next week.
We don't usually get snow this early in the winter.
« Last Edit: December 04, 2020, 06:20:45 PM by longlast »
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longlast

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Re: Belt not riding true in rear drive
« Reply #14 on: January 08, 2021, 08:31:37 AM »

Well the snow has cleared got out to test run the belt positioning like were its running got it off the shoulder of the pulley like it shows in the first post pic


https://photos.app.goo.gl/dEL7ywVq62Ephifk6
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