How do spread the driven faces ?

[dtvm]

Dan the Valve Man Here, I need some help,

This is my first scooter and its been fun, but the drive belt started slipping (I think it might be because I'm a little over the load limit) so I ordered a new one Bando correct number arrived. I watched a video with another Big Ruckus owner changing belt. He was young and buff, me not so much.

When the driven pulleys are in place I don't have the strength to squeeze the faces by hand to gain slack to tighten the drive face bolt. Already screwed up one drive face. 

Is there a tool or a procedure to help spread the driven faces open while mounting belt? This is a 250 cc machine.

Thanks for any help.

Dan

[dav3titus]

It sounds like you either have to take the variator face off (use an impact wrench)or get a friend with better gripping power to squeeze the clutch together. The variator is the front orleft wheel looking part, theright is the clutch

[lilpinny]

You could put a water buffalo on a big ruck. You’re not over the weight limit. Those parts just wear.

I think I watched the same video... but the procedure is the same. You kinda loop it over the clutch and the spacer on the CVT. Then you gotta sink it down in the clutch a little so the drive face on the CVT sits flush against that spacer. You kinda gotta muscle it in, but recruit a buddy... it doesn’t have to go very far. If two of you are pulling on the clutch to separate it and one can get a hand over to squeeze the belt, the top and the bottom, so it wants to tighten against the clutch you should be able to get it in there enough. I’m not aware of a tool, other than a buddy, that does that.

[lilpinny]

I’d also look for more vids for ideas. Most scooters have the same belt system so don’t limit it to the big ruck.

[90GTVert]

Are you trying to squeeze the pulley while the belt is looped around it? If so, one trick that sometimes works is to squeeze the belt itself. Let it try to pull itself into the rear pulley. When I work with stiff contra springs, it can be tough to squeeze the pulley on even smaller scooters. I will leave the belt out of the rear pulley in those cases and try to squeeze with both hands, because you can get a much better grip that way. The tough part then is that you have to figure out how to get the belt in there. Sometimes once the spring is compressed, you can hold it enough to quickly push the belt in. It's not something that I can say I like to do, but on the side of the road when I've blown belts apart and the pulley has to remain open so I can get chords out, I take a flat object with no sharp edges and stick that in the center so the pulley can't close after I get it squeezed open with two hands. You can kinda juggle the object and lean it against your hands or whatever so it's right there while you work.

None of this is much fun and be careful. I can tell you from lots of first hand experience that pulleys with stiff springs closing on your fingers hurts.

[dtvm]

Dan The Valve Man here,

Thank You all for your comments. Glad to read the way I was trying was not too crazy. I have the perfect tool, he is 52 years old and works in a lead recycling plant he pours molten lead by hand. He just called yesterday and said he got 56 hours overtime. He be really BUFF. I knew I raised that kid for something. I may have to put my inventers hat on. inflatable bag of some sort?

THX Dan

[GrumpyUnk]

Perhaps invent a wooden wedge device you can slip between the 'closed up' clutch pulley faces, drive towards the center, and spread the faces. Slide the belt over the outer rim of the clutch(while it is around the variator shaft near the center for max slack), and then down into the VEE. Remove the wedge.
When I have had to do this task, I set the belt in the variator, as deep as possible, and slide the belt over the top of the clutch. I grab the clutch face(closest) with both hands, and try to squeeze it toward me. While squeezed, I'll slip the belt down into the VEE, helped by gravity. After I get the belt down as far as possible, I'll work the rest of the belt around the lower side of the clutch into the VEE. The belt itself will hold the sides apart even though it is not in place all the way around.
If you have seen the adjustable tension mechanism that is placed between an alternator and a head or block that can be expanded by turning the center 'turnbuckle', that sort of thing, placed between the variator and clutch, could be used to wedge the clutch apart against the contra pressure. I guess it would have to have modified 'ends' to fit properly. Out of ideas.
tom

[dtvm]

Got it done. (Drew blood only 3 times) F--Oring Pics didn't use them just sit on um.

Driven side on a bench, new belt on driven side (2) wooden wedges one inside pulley, one on the outside of the belt filled pulley, no bell yet. Clamped wedges and belt and driven pulley with adjustable furniture clamp. Started driven side on the shaft until drive side belt centered and lose over the drive pulley then tightened drive pulley bolt. Removed clamp from the driven pulley, the pressure applied by the tighten drive pulley forced driven pulley all the way on the shaft. Installed bell. Tighten Bolt, took a nap.

Dan

[FrankenMech]

Jul 23, 2019 10:50:40 GMT -5 dtvm said:

Dan The Valve Man here,

 I may have to put my inventers hat on. inflatable bag of some sort?

THX Dan

Be careful, we can't use wives and girlfriends like that...

Excellent job on your furniture clamp solution

[snaker]

I'm not able to remove the belt without removing the driven pulley on my machine either. The case is so deep that the belt won't slide over the sheaves of either pulley. So I remove the driven pulley and the drive pulley fixed sheave. The good news is that with the driven out of the machine its easy to seat the belt down into the sheaves to make it ready for reinstallation.