Belt Inspection, Replacement, Rotation, Taking out Tension

Work Instructions: How to do Belt Maintenance and Removing Belt Tension

Preliminary Note: 

Check belt tension monthly and adjust when necessary. There should be a substantial belt tension loop right behind the pinch roller at the end of the belt, but the belt should never touch the floor.

•  If the belt gets too loose, it will drag on the floor and wear out the belt quickly.

•  If it is too tight as evidenced by no belt tension loop, the belt may be damaged by over-stress.

• Either condition may also damage the belt, shafts, sprockets, or gearbox.

Tools Needed:

• Hammer
• 4ft PVC Pipe 2" in diameter
• Channel Locks

Procedure: 

1. Take a PVC pipe and slide it underneath the belt. Two people on each side. Pick it up and get some slack. Take two pins out. Hit the pin out with a punch and hammer.
2. Use 2 Vice Grips or Channel Locks to pull on the pin that is coming out in order to break the belt apart.

Full Belt Inspection Procedure

Parts Needed: 

• Franchise Belt Replacement Kit (E-C-2080-K)

Procedure

1. Take a PVC pipe and slide it underneath the belt. Two people on each side. Pick it up and get some slack. Take two pins out. Hit the pin out with a punch and hammer.
2. Use 2 Vice Grips or Channel Locks to pull on the pin that is coming out in order to break the belt apart.
3. After the belt is apart, pull one end past the sprockets, so you can inspect the sprockets. Pull the other end to reveal the guide plates and inspect the take-up drum and bearings at this time. (You will repeat this process until all parts of the belt have been inspected.)
4. Place two detergent drums on the belt at the front of the wash to keep the belt from sliding down.
5. When inspecting the glide plates, look at the edges to make sure they are not worn down too far.
6. Inspect all the glide plates.
7. Roll the belt back and break at the Rocker, 2 to 3 places. Pull back to the rockers and inspect the sprockets.
8. Put the drums under the front.
9. Inspect all under rollers for worn shafts, worn idle wheels, and U-bolts. Grease all eight bearings, and inspect the belt flush.
10. Inspect the oil level in the drive unit, inspecting and greasing the chain couplers.
11. Inspect the take-up drums and bearings.
12. Clean (use the fire hose) and inspect the V trough.
13. Put the belt back together, and leave enough slack to move the belt around to get the pin back in.
14. Once you get to the blower room section, put the motor in reverse (-10 on the iPad) if there is extra slack. Two people with screwdrivers pulling back, until the belt starts to move. Some slack can then be removed. The belt should now be tightened.

Belt Rotation Procedure:

1. Take the Tire marker, and make directional arrows to indicate the belt’s direction. Make these at the entrance and place a directional arrow about 5 ft. apart along the entire Belt.
2. Take a PVC pipe and slide it underneath the belt. Two people on each side. Pick it up and get some slack. Take two pins out. Hit the pin out with a punch and hammer.
3. Use 2 Vice Grips or Channel Locks to pull on the pin that is coming out in order to break the belt apart.
4. After the belt is apart, pull one end past the sprockets, so you can inspect the sprockets. Pull the other end to reveal the guide plates and inspect the take-up drum and bearings at this time. (You will repeat this process until all parts of the belt have been inspected.)
5. Place two detergent drums on the belt at the front of the wash to keep the belt from sliding down.
6. Now you will break the belt into 20 ft. sections. Rotate each section 180 degrees and re-attach. After the entire top has been rotated, run the belt until the arrows are no longer showing. Now break apart the remainder of the belt as described above and rotate each 20 ft. section 180 degrees until no sections are left.

Instructional Video: 

Belt Inspection, Replacement,