Belt life...How many miles should they last??

[RSVECTORFREAK]

Well here we go again, I decided to try a carlisle Ultimax 3 because I had a gift certificate at a place that sells them. Well I thought the belt was doing alright but the second day I ran across a lake, let the sled sit for 3 hours forgot there might be slush in the suspension and smoked another belt trying to move it. Thats 3 smoked belts in 2 seasons due to stupidity. I might never get a true mileage for a belt on these machines.......

 

[Wilson]

Smokey can I have your old belt I can probably get another 4000k out of it .

 

[Highmiler]

miles on belt

No one mentions the belt direction on these belts if you put it on backwards you will destroy it right away. They are designed to run one way and the direction arrow on the Yamaha belt is right beside the part number.

Good point sleddog. In my experience aftermarket clutch kits also lead to premature belt wear. I run stock clutching, no shimming, no nothing, and my 05 still has origanal belt with 7700 miles. My 03 mountain has 17000 on the current belt.

 

[Yama-Crazy]

So why am I only getting 400 miles out of a belt ..I know I run hard and do alot of railroad grades doing 80+ alot but I used yammi belt and still cant get any milage out of a belt! A mechanic told me the yamaha 4 stroke is hard to allign and probally is not the problem since the clutches both move and self allign??? Is this BS or what ...maybe I should get with someone who has an allignment guage for an RS sled? Whats your opinion?

 

[PAMikeC]

The latter for sure get it guaged out. You would think that smoking them @ 400 miles that you could see something obviously wrong.

Would a dial caliper do? Where is the reference point?

 

[Yama-Crazy]

The latter for sure get it guaged out. You would think that smoking them @ 400 miles that you could see something obviously wrong.

Would a dial caliper do? Where is the reference point?

I dont know...But I do know a guy who is a pretty good Yammi mechanic and he is telling me its almost impossible to be out of allignment ....but I really question him on this! He says these 4 strokes would be VERY hard to align ..anyone know if this is true>?? Gotta be something wrong here!!!

 

[PAMikeC]

Yama-crazy,

I was on eBay yesterday looking at prices on used Vectors and saw a clutch alignment tool for sale. $29 IIRC.

Search on RS Vector and I'm sure you will find it.

Mike C

 

[STORM-CHASER]

my first one I changed at 2800 miles , But blew one today at 500 miles, got stuck a few times, I am thinking thats what did it

 

[Yama-Crazy]

Yama-crazy,

I was on eBay yesterday looking at prices on used Vectors and saw a clutch alignment tool for sale. $29 IIRC.

Search on RS Vector and I'm sure you will find it.

Mike C

ok thanks!

 

[hondo]

On my 05 RS Venture, I blew a belt this year that had a little over 9,000 miles on it. This was last years belt.

I'm satisfied with the durabilty.

 

[Yama-Crazy]

Was just noticing that my belt is not sitting above secondary sheeve..are you doing anything to get tjose kind of miles out of yours we should know about? Is it a Yammi belt? Did you shim the secondary to get it above sheeve..where is yours riding?

 

[PAMikeC]

Somebody told me last year that the bottom of the cooling fins should be even with the top of the secondary. Made sense to me and I noticed monkeying around that it would change the engagement speed sometimes drastically. Set as above I engage right at 3400 RPM.

 

[STORM-CHASER]

the service book says .5 below to 1.5 mm above the secondary, any were in there should be right

 

[Yama-Crazy]

On my 05 RS Venture, I blew a belt this year that had a little over 9,000 miles on it. This was last years belt.

I'm satisfied with the durabilty.

I just want to know Hondo do you ride hard ..slow what type belt and what do you do to your primary and secondary each year if anything to get those kind of miles?

 

[Yama-Crazy]

the service book says .5 below to 1.5 mm above the secondary, any were in there should be right

I wonder if this could be part of the problem my belt even at new never sits above the sheeve on secondary ..its like almost just about even with the top? you think if I slightly shim it ..it would be to high then????