Blew a belt halfway up a steep hill last Sunday

I was out on a long ride near Kingston and the engine revved but I wasn't moving. Had to walk the quad half a mile back to the truck in the mud. Has anyone else had trouble with belts slipping on older machines?

4 comments

4 Comments

perez.christopher12d ago

Oh man, that Kingston mud is no joke (been there myself, slipping and sliding all the way). So quick question for you - did you check the clutch sheaves for glazing or wear when you had the belt off? @scott.grace mentioned cleaning pulleys, which is solid advice, but if the sheaves are shiny and smooth from years of heat, even a fresh belt can struggle to grab. I've seen older machines where the belt itself looks fine but the metal surfaces are polished like a mirror, which basically kills all grip on steep hills. That walk of shame is brutal though, especially when you're already tired and caked in mud (my back still remembers one from last fall).

evan_morgan8112d ago

Man, that's rough. Had to drag mine out of a muddy creek bed a few years back (different problem, seized up on me), so I feel your pain on that walk of shame. Belts on older machines can be finicky, especially when they get a little heat in them and start losing grip.

scott.grace12d ago

Once I tightened the belt tension just a hair and cleaned the pulleys off it grabbed way better.

brians2712d ago

Belts usually slip more when they're hot and lose tension, so cleaning and adjusting is the right fix. The seized up issue sounds like a different animal altogether.