Belvilles & V-belts

[Shizzlemah]

Folks,
I almost finished the bellvile washer swap tonight. Some a-hole (who looks a lot like me) lost one of the ball bearings out of the drawbar.... So since it's not going back together tonight, I will post a couple of questions.

The number of belville washers - I was expecting 42 or 44. But holy cow only 32 ?! This is a 1989 vintage machine. Two grooves in the drawbar, so I assume I put the retainer in the lower groove. That is the one it came out of. Looks like it will be a bear to compress down, the old springs didn't have much fight in them! The puller bolts used for disassembly are a good 3/8" too short to reach for reassembly!

This is a 10k hi/low spindle, with a total of 6 V-belts from the motor. The 3 bottom belts have seen better days. TAll 6 are marked 3VX315SPECIAL. Just how special? Would a simple matched set do it?

Also is there a trick to getting the v-belts off? Looks like they could slip right off the botom of the motor except for the belt cover on the backside. How big of a PITA is it to get the belts off ?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[dango]

First about the belts
This is Fadal special if you put another type of belts the Hi-LO
Will run together and it will be very noisy
If you have the old maintenance book you will see that in the beginning
There was some spindle with 44 and some other amount
To take out the belts you need to remove
The bridge with the piston this is six bolts with 7/16 ranch
Then the bridge that is with the orientation piston this you need
Élan key of 5/16
Then remove 2 screws at the bottom of the belts guard under the motor
This is with 3/4 ranch you can see them also if you open a door that hide beside the spindle pulley
Then you need to take one of the bolts that hold the motor
If you look at the machine it in your left this will give you to move the guards
Of the pulley out and now you can replace the belts

[IN2GLAMISGIRL]

I have always used Goodyear belts from Mc Master-Carr they should be all from the same lot number. They last and are quiet. Make shure you use VX series belts p/n 6230k15 $9.30 ea

Remove air pressure to release the belt tensioner and cut off the old belts.
Remove the front bridge assy. and the rear motor belt guide. I use a 3/4 socket and long extension from the access window behind spindle for the rear belt guide. Remove left rear motor mount post and bolt. Loosen motor bolts and slide motor forward. Spin the belts into their v's .

As for bellvile washers the older machines used less. Try and count the number you removed. Or call Fadal with the depth of the washer counterbore.
I also get my washers from Mc MasterCarr

[Shizzlemah]

Thanks guys. Can you detail where this 'access window' is ? It is probably staring right at me. Once I get the rear belt guide off I should be fine.


All the parts for reassemby arrived a few minutes ago. I hope this doesn't turn into a late night!


I got info from Fadal saying 29 or 30 belvilles typ. I'll see how many I can fit... Afraid if I try and compress too much, I'll pull the pulley off the spindle!

[IN2GLAMISGIRL]

This is on the bottom of the casting that holds the spindle (underside). Four 1/4 screws hold it on.

I have put one to many bevelivle washers in and the tool out cylinder can not compress the stack enough to release the tool. Try 30 then you will know if you are at max rention pressure.

[Walt@SGS.Inc]

If I was to purchase belleville washers, I would check with Key Bellevilles,
Leechburg, Penna. Telephone 800 245 3600 www.keybellevilles.com
I am sure the quality will be superior and if you are comparing price, you very well could be in for a pleasant surprise.
Regards Walt.

[Shizzlemah]

Yahoo!

In2glamis - thank you !! without that window this would have been impossible! The service manual went bolt by bolt right up to the rear belt retainer, then it just said "remove rear belt guard". LOL No probs, just a little tight fishing on 6 new belts.

Just running it in now. works great. 32 spirings back in, and the tool ejector piston just nudges it out. With the old belvilles, it would really launch the tool out.

Thanks guys !!

[Willbird]

Thats more washers than some of them have :-). I tried to change them yearly on the one I ran, it will sneak up on you if you have broken ones, one way to tell is grap the tool while the machine is in nuetral, twist it rapidly back and forth, if the washers are bad it will go "click click click" as the tool holder moves to touch the drive keys, another easy way to tell is to try to pry the catv flange away from the spindle with a screwdriver, do this on new ones so you know what they feel like when their new. They do make a device to test drawbar tension but few shops actually have one :-).

have a good hard look at the pulleys too, they will get a ridge worn on them in time, where the inner side of the vee runs, when this happens it will make them grab the slacked belt when running in high gear, and that eats the belt.

The new pulleys come with a small bag of tiny corks, these are to put in the balance holes so the machine doesnt whistle at high speed :-)

Bill

[IN2GLAMISGIRL]

The way I check the condition of my draw bar pressure is with a .100 shim under the head of the retention knob. I have a scrap toolholder (painted red) that is used for this use only twice a year on each machine. If it will wiggle against the drive keys by hand, the springs are getting near the end of their life. The spindle taper holds up better if you catch it before the drawbar pressure gets to low.

[Shizzlemah]

The pulleys were okay. Had an issue a few weeks ago where the idler pulley for high range stuck, and it roasted the belts. A good shot of spindle oil was a quick fix for the pulley. I didn't want to go too deep my first time in there, esp with work piling up!

In2glamis - excellent suggestion on using a scrap toolholder. I think I'll make one of those tools tomorrow, excellent idea!