I'm Not Sure Why, But I Now Have a B-80

[BradKahler 196]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

Brad you are making great progress! 

To my eye, and agreeing with your assessment,  it looks more like the belt guard is mounted a bit higher than I'd expect which makes that gap to the guide bigger. Once you have the top tab where you want it and correctly spaced, then gently bending the bottom will get you home. 

And yes, in the interest of having the drive belt stop promptly when the clutch is fully disengaged, the close gaps are important. 

 

Thanks for the info.  Your comment about the belt guard position, reminded me about the mounting hole in the top bracket.  It has been enlarged and I'm not sure why.  I  think I'll take a closer look to see what's going on there.  I do know the bolt in the middle bottom line up without issue as did the two at the top rear.  Only the front hole had issues.  

 

Also, does the belt look a little loose?  The clutch is not pushed in so I would think the belt would be a bit tighter.  I'll remove the guard and take another picture.

 

Thanks.

[Handy Don 15,157]

3 hours ago, BradKahler said:

Also, does the belt look a little loose?  The clutch is not pushed in so I would think the belt would be a bit tighter.  I'll remove the guard and take another picture.

I thought you got the picture with the clutch disengaged!  Definitely loose. The belt in the manual picture show the belt nicely snug. 

The trick is to have the clutch/idler arm still be tilted forward some when the clutch is disengaged. If the arm is too vertical, then it cannot keep the belt taut. 

 

Some members have reported weakened or over-stretched clutch tensioner springs, so that’s something to keep in mind as well.

The larger hp WHs that I’ve seen use ⅝” drive belts and I’m sure you already know that belts wear on their sides and hence over time ride deeper in the pulleys, creating the erroneous impression the belt has “stretched."