?Belt slippage?

[shawnj]

Anyone have this experience and if so what sypmtoms did you have, sound, no movement etc. I think maybe this is what happend to my wifes sled last winter a couple times, not sure though. I changed the belt and it did it a couple times since. Acted as of it were stuck on ice and wouldnt move but it is stdded and wasn't always on ice when it occured. If this is the problem what should I do? Thanks.

 

[KnappAttack]

Sounds like the track trying to weld itself to the hyfax if it happens when your on ice. Your not giving us much info to go on.

 

[mr.pitstop]

Usually if you smoke the belt you will smell burnt rubber and see smoke rising from the clutches. You will also have a vibration or a "clunk" when riding due to the flat spot that has been burnt into the belt. What Mr.Knapp is saying is sometimes if there is not much snow for slide lubrication, when you park your sled the slides will be hot and partially melted, they sit in the snow for a few minuites and they cool fast and the plastic hardens to the track, then when you try and take off again, it could smoke the blet because the track dosn't want to turn. Once its broken free its not a problem anymore.

If its a sled your wife's riding its hard sometimes. I can smell my wifes slides buring when she is riding in front of me and I'll catch her and have her get into some powder for lube. But she never knows its happening, she dosn't feel anything different in the sled as she is not as avid a rider as me. I can feel it in the sled and smell it as soon as my slides start to get hot so I immediately get into some snow, its harder for people who don't know what they are smelling and don't feel it in the sled

This sounds like what might have happened to your wifes sled. Usually once you smoke the belt once you get rubber on your clutches and a flat spot in the belt. If the sled has a clunk or vibration when she gets on it this season I'd change the belt and clean the clutches. You should get the rubber off the clutch faces because it will allow the belt to slip even easier if you leave it on there.

Hope this helps...

 

[dhkr123]

Graphite sliders, I believe, have a higher melting temperature. They might help with this if you don't already use them.

 

[shawnj]

I dont have the graphite slides no. It was kind of funny the first time it happend. She couldn't get it to move. I got on it and gave it a shot of gas and it almost sounded like it was out of gear, obviously not though. I did change the belt and had it do it once more during the season. Weird. What's good for cleaning clutch surfaces?

 

[mr.pitstop]

alot of different opinions on what should be used on the clutches. Some say to use brake cleaner and others say don't. Some say use soap and others don't, some use sand paper to rough up the surface and others don't.

I usually use some warm water and dish detergent to wash them and then rinse very well. The key is to use something that can be rinsed off well, you don't want any residue left on the clutch faces.

 

[mr. shide]

all those methods are fine and will work well. i blow them out whith compressed air first then clean them. with brake cleaner, scrub brush, high grit/light sandpaper and then rinse them down with water. wipe dry.

 

[dhkr123]

Clutch cleaning.. this would be for the FACES. Brake cleaner won't help. Only needed if you see black lines of melted rubber on the faces of the clutch. Use a MILD ABRASIVE, like those green plastic kitchen scrubbing pads. If you have a high degree of mechanical aptitude and can (and frequently DO) confidently use a table saw without a blade guard, then you rub the pad on the clutch with the engine running at IDLE. If power tools make you nervous, ENGINE OFF -- we don't want you ripping your arm off doing something stupid like cleaning your clutch

 

[dhkr123]

(note: you *can* clean the other parts of the clutch, and brake cleaner may be good for this, but cleaning the weights and rollers won't remove rubber from the faces..)

 

[mr. shide]

yeah you cant just spray stuff on there, takes effort. i think I pointed that out.

 

[darv]

break clean or contact clear works well i like contact clear it cut the belt stuff off really well and and cut all the brake dust and blow dry with compress air.

 

[sgilbert]

sounds like a sticking clutch to me. either due to worn arms or sticking main bushing due to corrosion. what year/model? I would pull cover and check arms and main bushing for sticking. have seen some new clutches that dont get used enough do it after a few years. well used ones are worn enough to not bother

 

[timc]

May not be the issue but it is VERY important to clean the mold release agent or the "powder" that comes on a new belt. I had the same issue when my sled was new. The sled wouldn't budge when you got 2/3 the way in my tilt trailer or if I stopped 1/2 way up a snowbank. It wouldn't spin, it just set there and you could smell the belt. The belt came apart in 800 miles even though I couldn't see or feel any hourglass in it from slipping.

I read TY about cleaning the belt. Now I take my new belt, a bucket of warm, soapy water and a bristle brush and scrub down the sides, rinse well & let it dry. Clean the clutches by spraying Brake Kleen on a rag, wipe down & let it dry.

I've never had the problem again. If I can't move its not because the track isn't spinning!

TimC

 

[shawnj]

Ya it is a 2008 and doesnt have a lot of kms on it, less than 4000.

 

[whitedust1]

I don't think you have a problem. If I hit the binders skid to a stop at surprise stop sign then give it my thumb clutch sounds horrible & sled won't go. Found out belt got hung up or jammed in clutch at speed I locked up the brakes & track. Once you get belt in proper position problem gone. I always clean my clutches every year so can't hurt to blow them out.