Rear Belt Pulley

Energy One

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
Calendar Participant
Troop Supporter
I am leaning towards a chain conversion.

Any pros or cons?
On a LSD it shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you want to reduce the gap left from the belt then you might get a thinner inner primary.

Oil is the only down side I can see. Can be messy.

Kinda funny reflecting on my "Sailors Story" back then we were trying to get away from the chains.
 

mcgroom

Well-Known Member
On a LSD it shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you want to reduce the gap left from the belt then you might get a thinner inner primary.

Oil is the only down side I can see. Can be messy.

Kinda funny reflecting on my "Sailors Story" back then we were trying to get away from the chains.

I talked to Baker and they said it would be an easy transition.

As far as oil goes, chains have come a long way since back in the day is my understanding. Most good ones are ringed (sealed) to a certain degree to maintain lubrication longer.

The past couple of weeks have been tough to own an older BDM.

It took quite some time to get fork seals and bushings figured out. Very few dealers have their parts systems update back that far.

Bought (5) 6205 bearings from Napa ($25 each) since they were the only ones that had them in stock. Pulled the front wheel off to find Timken bearings. Back to Napa to return the 6205's and get Timkens. They had the races, bearings and 1 seal. Ordered 3 more seals.

Pulled the rear wheel and found 3 6205's.....:loony: Screw it, ordered 8 6205 bearings online $36.11 shipped. Here by Friday.

Waiting for my buddy to come over and pick up some aftermarket pulleys that needed the ID's milled to fit my PM wheel hub.

Decided to pull my forks so I am ready to go when I have time to replace the seals/bushings. One of them got hung up in the clamp on it's way out and cut all to shit in a spot that is NOT covered up.:bang: :bang: :bang:

I spent 2 hours trying to sand out the cut and to deep to get it all out.

Of course the pulleys I have to substitute my $650 PM pulley because it squeaks are too thin to just open them up unless we fabricate a hub extenstion to maintain surface pressure.

Fuck it....pack it in for the night.

Decided to call Full Throttle in Michigan and talked to a guy named Jeff. Would recommend him to anyone. Had the info I needed even though I did not like the info.

Asked him "How much for a single fork tube"?

Can't buy 1, have to buy the whole assem. $1600......:eek:

What if I need to replace a slider if the bushings were to worn?

Again, can't buy just a slider. $1600........:angry:

The thing is I love my bike even though I am having so many problems on shit that should be basic.

So instead of getting bent, just looking for ways to keep it on the road that are reasonable.

Either way, credit this site for the knowledge and member willingness to help anothrer rider out. :2thumbs:
 

surferdude

dry docked
SuperMax creates a great product ... in fact Phil is my next door neighbor. He is suppose to make me a pulley soon. He rides the oldest HD with modified parts that it don't look like a HD anymore. Great guy ... Hope that the SuperMax will fix your squealling problem and mine too. :D :flag: :hi:
 

mcgroom

Well-Known Member
SuperMax creates a great product ... in fact Phil is my next door neighbor. He is suppose to make me a pulley soon. He rides the oldest HD with modified parts that it don't look like a HD anymore. Great guy ... Hope that the SuperMax will fix your squealling problem and mine too. :D :flag: :hi:
Great guy! Talked to him yesterday about his offerings.

I will sent it to him before buying a new pulley.

I just keep thinking that I can spend the same type of money and make the bike that much more a reflection of me and what I want.

A chain drive is not my first choice but it would be that much more different and should be just as functional.

Just trying to rationalize every thing.
 

LDO

The Cleaner
Troop Supporter
Mcgroom, why can't you just use 41mm tubes from jp cycles or something? Lots of folks carry them besides a BD dealer. Did you try shopping around?

1600 is a bit steep, you could buy a completely new front end with trees and new axle for less than that!
 

hoat

Well-Known Member
his bike is an 02 and left side drive.

Spray it and let that sucker squeek for the 3 miles you ride to the bar.
 

mcgroom

Well-Known Member
his bike is an 02 and left side drive.

Spray it and let that sucker squeek for the 3 miles you ride to the bar.
ouch....that hurt

I didn't make it out to Sturgis but I did put almost 5k miles on it last year.

Nothing compared to you guys but enough miles to drive me crazy. :loony:

Especialy when I pull into the local bike night......:D
 

street

Member
man, i just baught some 41 mm tubes for mine, i baught mine wrecked, 58 bucks shipped of ebay. as the chopper trend drops so is the price of chopper stuff.
my belt squeaks and drives me nuts, i used belt dressing on it and only works for a little while and makes a mess. i am goin to try the sylicone this week. and reading this i will check the alinement tomarrow.

on a side note, again i am damn glad i found this site, as i didnt know what to do about it, one guy tryed to tell me it was just dirty.
 

glennpg

New Member
I have been trying to figure out where the sqeeking or chirping noise has been coming from for months now. Thought it was the pipes but with this forum I pretty sure it is the pulley. I have an 05 Mastiff with 9000 miles on it. never changed the drive belt yet. Tighten the belt once already trying to stop the belt from sliping when powering up at low speeds, I have already tried silicone spray and it actually sqeeks worst now than before. I have noticed that the belt is tracking all the way to the outside of the pulley. How do you adjust the belt to to get it to track more to the inside of the pulley.
 

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
I adjust the belt by measuring from the pivot axle back to the drive axle to get it square, then spin the wheel as if you were riding down the road (forward!) and watch the belt. Make small adjustments to alignment to get the belt so it's not riding on either edge of the pulley. It doesn't have to be perfectly centered, just not riding on either side. Make sure the tension is correct, and keep in mind that it will tighten a bit when you drop it off the lift. This usually cures the squeaking.
 
If that don't work, try this. Get the rear wheel off the ground and spin it backwards, if the belt moves towards your pulley cover, your alignment is off. Loosen your axle and make sure you don't see a gap between your spacer and swingarm, if you do , then tighten your axle until the gap is close to to being gone but still can adjust your belt. After you make sure of that. Now for the adjustment, if spinning the wheel bachwards and the belt moves then turn the axle adjuster on the left side of the bike only. Spin the wheel forward watching the belt tracking, then spin it backwards. if the belt still does it, another 1/4 turn. Also you need to remember on your belt tension with wheel off the ground, the belt should have little movement, it will seem tight...but when you set the wheel back on the ground it will loosen and with you on it, its even looser.
Due to that fact that everythings moves when welding a frame or a swingarm together. We have to compensate for this. Its normal to see a measurement from the pivot axle to the rear axle alignment to be no more than an 1/8 off sometimes.
Also remember this, when you throttle hard and your alignment is off belt will move just like has if you were spinning it backwards and then go back, this could also be reason why you a noise from your belt. Hope this helps you.
 

glennpg

New Member
drive belt squeaking and chirping

Alright with help from this forum I think I have this thing figured out. I have adusted the belt to where it is tracking center of the pulley. Took her out for a spin and the squeaking noise is definetly quieter than before. It seems to squeak now :)only when powering up but not when at cruising speeds which is what it did before the adjustment. the belt seems to be tracking to much to the inside of the pulley now so I am going to make one more adjustment to see if it will track more to the center of the pulley. I will let you know how I make out. Thanks for all the help!!!
 

Que

Member
Rear drive pulley

Any ideas? I have a 2007 Big Dog Chopper RSD and after I purchased the bike I noticed the outer edge of the drive belt looked melted. After placing on bike jack and removed piece by piece until I noticed the right side LONG swingarm bolt was snapped in two. Had to replace everything due to unable to remove the broken half of the bolt from the center pivot. Replaced everything with a new Gates drive belt and aligned by watching the tracking. Rode for about 300 miles before I thought the tranny or clutch was going bad. I had a ratcheting feeling while getting on her hard in first and second gear. Didn't see anything wrong with the drive belt that would make me think it was the problem other than it may have been a little on the tight side before the ride and after it would have more slack. I checked it with other owners Big Dogs and it was a little tighter than theirs. But I still had this slipping or fast ratchet feeling. Well today while riding to Biloxi Mississippi I stopped for fuel and never left until my wife came with a trailer to pick me up. While attempting to leave a few guys approached me and was admiring the Dog so I had to give them something to talk about. I got down on her just a little and she let go. I looked back and noticed this snake laying on the ground. That snake shure looked close to the Gates belt on my bike, because it was the belt off my bike. Now everyone that was admiring this bike now was laughing at it, and me. I just put the stand down right where I stopped and acted as if I meant to do that.:bang:
My question is, has anyone ever had this problem and corrected it? :confused:I'm almost in the dog house for constantly spending money on this bike and it's always broke. I still have a base gasket oil leak on my front cylinder that needs attention, on top of other needed mods I still want to do.:confused: Sure wished I had bought a different bike from a different owner. I really never felt comfortable banging on this bike like I've done on my Jap crotch rocket so I really never did. Just never felt solid enough. I have watched YouTube videos of these bikes burning out and wheelies. NEVER would I do that on this bike. But it sure would be nice just to be able to accelerate quickly.:(
 

Que

Member
If you pass your finger over the face of the teeth that contact the belt, they feel smooth. If you feel the backside they feel sharp on the corners. I've already got my eye on a replacement pulley that doesn't come close to my style wheel. But @ $75 new, can't pass it up. I looked into the different types of belts out there and think that most are the same.
 
If the outside edge of your belt is smooth, the ratcheting sound you is your belt rubbing the inside of your pulley cover. If you get your rear wheel off the ground and spin it backwards, if the belt starts to track to the outside, spin it forward, if the belt tracks back towards the center? Then it could belt alignment? If you spin it backwards then forward and the belt doesn't move. Then I would check your pulley nut 80ft lbs of torque left hand thread, if that is tight? Then I would check the pulley for up and down movement, with no belt tension on it. If it does move up and down? Your main bearing in your trap door is bad.
 

rca1952

Member
My 02 Prosport had that same problem! I also pulled out my hair trying to figure it out, and the shop just used me to believe that it was the belt, pulley, and whatever else that they could think of to make money on the insurance. Long, Long story short, it was the swingarm berrings that went bad causing an alinement problem. Once my belt and pulley was changed at least 4 times, and god knows whatever else they said was wrong, it stoped and I haven't had any problems sence. Now I do all of my own work and I've saved a lot of money!....good luck

scooter
 
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