Front implement belt alignment and pulley tension help needed

[ebinmaine 62,982]

I've had this Mckissick chipper for a bit and I've never been able to get the belt lined up quite right. It seems to want to grind one side off of the belt. 

 

The guy I bought this unit from had it mounted on the front of a Green thing.

One of our members, awesome as usual, was nice enough to send me a front frame mounting bracket.

This bracket appears to be semi-universal, so to speak. It's wider than a standard Wheelhorse  frame by just exactly one inch.

 

I tried equalizing it with two half inch spacers and then I moved it over so I had one inch all on one side.

Recently I've discovered that the bolts holding the bracket half mounted to the actual chipper were corroded and loose so I'll be fixing that this weekend.

 

I've tried using a 4-ft T-square but still can't quite get it right.

 

What am I missing? Are there any tips and tricks to getting the pulleys straight to one another? Also, how much tension should I have on this belt.? It has a pretty long open space. 84 inch total length.

 

 

 

 

[peter lena 8,038]

@ebinmaine  , just snoopin  around came across this ,https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=mckissick+chipper+hook+up+to+wheel+horse+tractor&qpvt=mckissick+chipper+hook+up+to+wheel+horse+tractor&form=IGRE&first=1&tsc=ImageHoverTitle   , maybe some ideas ?  pete

[JoeM 7,609]

A piece of mason string for alignment.

84 inch can be forgiving.

I would say to use a spring loaded pivot belt take up with that chipper on the return belt. lots of shock loading. something similar to a snow blower set up.

An inch of belt deflection on that span. 

 

[oliver2-44 8,837]

16 minutes ago, JoeM said:

A piece of mason string for alignment.

84 inch can be forgiving.

I would say to use a spring loaded pivot belt take up with that chipper on the return belt. lots of shock loading. something similar to a snow blower set up.

An inch of belt deflection on that span. 

 

Good advice!

Check both pulleys to be running true, not slightly bent.

your 4 foot t square is certainly a good tool to use.  

With it check that the chipper pulley is square with the tractor pulley by making sure its touching both sides of the tractor pulley and both sides of the chipper pulley

[peter lena 8,038]

@Joe M  @oliver2-44, agree with the initial set up check over , also an operational check over for function and detailing helps out . any thing that  not follow easily , will be a glairing point to correct .would have an aerosol lubricant can and extension to make the rust run out on hang up areas . had a similar gravely set up that was solid rust , greasy, pete

[ebinmaine 62,982]

2 hours ago, peter lena said:

maybe some ideas

Excellent. Thanks for that. I saved a couple pics.  

 

 

2 hours ago, JoeM said:

A piece of mason string for alignment.

84 inch can be forgiving.

I would say to use a spring loaded pivot belt take up with that chipper on the return belt. lots of shock loading. something similar to a snow blower set up.

An inch of belt deflection on that span. 

 

Like that spring loaded idea. 

 

I have some actual mason string around. 

I'll try that. 

An inch of deflection?

So that's a pretty tight belt at that point eh?

 

 

2 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

4 foot t square is certainly a good tool to use.  

With it check that the chipper pulley is square with the tractor pulley by making sure its touching both sides of the tractor pulley and both sides of the chipper pulley

Issue with the T square is that the chipper body is in the way. 

I can get it "close". Ish....

 

I'll try to see about using the string. 

Both pulleys seem straight enough ok but the tractor PTO pulley is tough to line up on because of the shape of the PTO being a "bell". 🔔

[JPWH 5,295]

@ebinmaineI found that using a small rope centered in the pulley grooves in place of the belt will give an accurate reference for alignment.

Jay

[ebinmaine 62,982]

1 minute ago, JPWH said:

@ebinmaineI found that using a small rope centered in the pulley grooves in place of the belt will give an accurate reference for alignment.

Jay

Clothesline? Or do you have a different recommendation?

[Handy Don 10,567]

And maybe some flex in the mounting when the chipper takes a big bite and there's a lot of torque?

[cafoose 3,135]

Maybe rig up an alignment tool something like this? 

[JPWH 5,295]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

Clothesline? Or do you have a different recommendation?

That may work. Something like parachute cord or mule tape is what I use. 

[ebinmaine 62,982]

1 minute ago, JPWH said:

parachute cord

Fair amount of that around.

[ebinmaine 62,982]

5 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

And maybe some flex in the mounting when the chipper takes a big bite and there's a lot of torque?

That's built in there. Interesting you'd bring that up. The hanger that holds these things in place is two pins kind of like the springs on a snow plow. There's already some movement in there.

 

[JPWH 5,295]

The pulleys are not always the same thickness that's why I like to align the centers and not the edge.

[ebinmaine 62,982]

Just now, JPWH said:

The pulleys are not always the same thickness that's why I like to align the centers and not the edge.

I can see the logic in that

[ebinmaine 62,982]

5 minutes ago, cafoose said:

alignment tool

I love the idea of this but the tractor end is the PTO which is bell-shaped

[Snoopy11 5,713]

Eric... which one of these are we talking about...? Just offset?

 

 

Don

[ebinmaine 62,982]

2 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

Eric... which one of these are we talking about...? Just offset?

 

 

Don

Most likely offset but there could be a touch of angle in there and I just can't see it without proper tools

[Snoopy11 5,713]

I can't remember for the life of me... but I talked to the V-belt guys (actual professional company) at one time about this very issue. They told me that there is a certain amount of angle that is tolerable in v-belt applications.

 

Also... using a bigger width belt (if possible), or rubber style belt may help.

 

Don

[cafoose 3,135]

5 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

I love the idea of this but the tractor end is the PTO which is bell-shaped

Maybe instead of square blocks on the pulleys you can use rods of equal length? Think of the square blocks as two rods coming from the flat steel. Maybe drill holes in the flat steel and use all thread with nuts on either side of the flat steel so they can be adjusted? That should clear the PTO bell and if necessary the pulley hub on the chipper.

 

[ebinmaine 62,982]

35 minutes ago, Snoopy11 said:

rubber style belt

You bring up an important point.

I'm using a cloth belt like an 8-speed Drive belt.

 

@Oldskool Mike reminded me that mowers use rubber belts.

 

I'm thinking now that maybe this application should be a rubber belt... NOT a cloth sided belt??

 

[squonk 38,848]

Rubber and cogged. Any pic of this issue Eric? 

[Ed Kennell 35,629]

4 hours ago, JoeM said:

 

84 inch can be forgiving.

I would say to use a spring loaded pivot belt take up with that chipper on the return belt. lots of shock loading. something similar to a snow blower set up.

 

 

 

                                                        Alignment should not be a problem on an 84" belt.       The shock loadig can be.

 

 

 

I had to make a two pulley  snow blower tensioner with a strong spring  for the front tiller.      The tenioner is necessary to keep the belt in the groove with these high shock load devices.

 

 

 

[ebinmaine 62,982]

15 minutes ago, squonk said:

Rubber and cogged. Any pic of this issue Eric? 

No sir. Really couldn't get a pic that made sense. 

The belt I had that wore right off one side is long gone.  

 

10 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

 

                                                        Alignment should not be a problem on an 84" belt.       The shock loadig can be.

 

 

 

I had to make a two pulley  snow blower tensioner with a strong spring  for the front tiller.      The tensioner is necessary to keep the belt in the groove with these high shock load devices.

 

I'll take a look at a snowblower chassis I have on hand.  Might have usable spring loaded pulley.  

 

Sounds like I need to really tighten right up on the belt?

 

 

[sjoemie himself 2,904]

I would also recommend a tensioner. My WH with sweeper also has a pretty long belt on it, also has a tensioner.

 

Like some guys said before, misalignment might not be your biggest problem.