Help with modified course vac issues Cancel The title field is required!

1. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/1/2014 8:12 AM

   I am looking for help from you guys that love to build or create your own equipment!
   
   About three years ago we took our large course vac and replaced the bad PTO gear housing with an older GK IV diesle engine which hooked up using belt drive.
   
   This worked fine for us the first year and a half but then started throwing belts. We have looked at the alignment but it seems to be right were we set it when we first built it. My equipment tech that built it has since retired so we are now trying to get it back up and running. We seem to think the issue may be with the fack that this things shakes quite a bit when at idle. the belts seem to flap around at this point. Since it is a direct hookup (no clutch) we really need to crank it when at an idle. Before I start trying to do a fix that may make things worse I figured I would place pictures on here to get a few suggestions from other out of the box thinkers.
   
   
   [url=http://s1240.photobucket.com/user/rgccoffice/media/IMG_3849_zps5b6a297a.jpg.html">[img">http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg484/rgccoffice/IMG_3849_zps5b6a297a.jpg[/img">
   [url=http://s1240.photobucket.com/user/rgccoffice/media/IMG_3850_zpsc9930064.jpg.html">[img">http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg484/rgccoffice/IMG_3850_zpsc9930064.jpg[/img">
   
   The ideler pully is on the other side of the unit but the actual tensioner is the square tube with the big spring on it.

   
   
   
   
2. Dinger Greg

   
   12/1/2014 10:12 AM

   Those belts look like they are sitting pretty far down in the pulleys. I would make sure they were the right width, and also that they are an automotive belt and not a fractional HP belt (the number would help ID this). From there, NAPA (and any other store offering Gates) offers an HD version of many belts, usually by putting an "HD" suffix after the part number. These belts are green and hold up quite well, although I'm sure their paint job has nothing to do with it. Our 4500 eats up regular belts but the HD units last a few seasons for us.

   
   
   
   
3. Mark Van Lienden

   

   14 posts
   
   12/1/2014 12:12 PM

   Could you have bearings that are starting to go out in the blower?

   
   
   
   
4. James Smith

   

   112 posts
   
   12/1/2014 12:12 PM

   Mark Van Lienden, CGCS said: Could you have bearings that are starting to go out in the blower?

   
   Great question! I really never thought of that, dont know why but hadn't entered my mind.
   
   As for the first post, we have tried the green belts also but they pop pretty quickly (less then a week). One issue is that we cannot find a double belt that fits the pullies behind the motor since we had essentially made it using two pullies. This causes it to lose some of the belts strength. I may have to look into new pullies behind the motor. I am sure I can find a double pulley that is the right size but I doubt it would bolt right up to the motor. I have considered swapping motors as I have a spare LF3400 motor in the shop. Wish I was able to outfit it with an electric clutch, this would enable us to not have to run it at low idle keeping the blower moving.
   
   Does anyone have a better idea of how to make a better idler pulley set up or clutch setup.