SuzukiSavage.com - Belt gauge reading

raydawg Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 11551 pacific northwest Gender:	Belt gauge reading 07/21/13 at 14:35:36 If I have the belt gauge in place and I can still see the line on the bottom, am I good? Do I need to jack the rear wheel off the ground too? It says to remove any load off the bike.....
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WD

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Re: Belt gauge reading
Reply #1 - 07/21/13 at 14:41:52

You want to see pretty much all of the lines milled into the plunger. The gauge is flawed, following the owner's manual specs will set your belt too tight. Which will make it chirp and squeak and track funny and crack... and put unnecessary strain on the hub cushions, the front pulley and transmission output shaft/shaft seal... Leading to transmission problems and clutch issues down the road.

Throw the gauge on the shelf as decor, use the 90* twist method.

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raydawg

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Re: Belt gauge reading
Reply #2 - 07/21/13 at 14:49:49

OK...i jacked the rear wheel up and took out of gear so I could spin the wheel and look at the belt. I notice now that all the lines (3) are visible when the plunger in put into place...Also I notice the front pulley has a very slight bump to it when rotated, no wobble, but I can see its not perfectly round. As to the twist method, you mean if I can twist the belt 90 degrees from its normal plane, its good, or?

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“The biggest big business in America is not steel, automobiles, or television. It is the manufacture, refinement and distribution of anxiety.”—Eric Sevareid (1964)

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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #3 - 07/21/13 at 14:59:17 Bike on the kickstand, twist the lower belt run with your thumb and two fingers. If it will go to roughly 90* without all the blood leaving your fingers, it's good to go. Just tight enough for your nail beds to blanch is perfect. Unless they changed the owners manual a bit, you do the plunger test on the kickstand as well.
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raydawg Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 11551 pacific northwest Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #4 - 07/21/13 at 15:12:02 OK, I'm good then, and I do need a new rear tire darn, at only 6500 and its almost bald in the middle Rottella in, just need to tidy up then give her a spin then go drop my crab traps!
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justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #5 - 07/21/13 at 15:16:42 6500 miles on what kinda tire? if thats a stock tire, you got 1,500 more than i did
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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #6 - 07/21/13 at 15:18:07 If they still ship with IRC tires, 6500 is actually pretty decent life. Crab traps? Dungeness or red rocks? Last time I tried deep water crabbing up there I got in trouble for catching king crab... like the crab knows it isn't the right species... Different king crab than the Alaskan kind.
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Belt gauge reading
Reply #7 - 07/21/13 at 15:49:34

Those gauges are best read from a distance.

Step 1 Stand up
Step 2, turn back to bike
Step 3 Throw that piece O crap as far as ya can
Step 4 Bike in first gear
5 roll backwards to put all the slack in the bottom of the belt
6 grab the belt 1/2 way between pulleys
7 twist belt 90 degrees

Now, this isnt a lumberjack or any kinda strong man deal. Talkin secretary here,, now, if shes weighin a bill 10, she mite break a sweat,,but, she could do it,,

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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wambr Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 610 Russia, Samara Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #8 - 07/22/13 at 00:59:35 someone of you guys did a video on verifying the belt tension.. p.s. not for me
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df0518 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 14 Los Angeles Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #9 - 07/22/13 at 10:12:07 here is the video on youtube - thanks to serowbot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2ZsZzTwRyk&feature=player_detailpage
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rl153 Serious Thumper Offline S40 Just right! Posts: 906 Bloomfield,CT Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #10 - 07/23/13 at 14:41:03 What will happen if your belt is slightly to tight? I think my belt has never been adjusted since the factory,and it's a 2005.I can twist it almost 90 degrees but its kind of tough.Thanks!
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Belt gauge reading
Reply #11 - 07/23/13 at 14:48:39

Kinda Tuff is it? Thats reasonable,, for a secretary,,Yu a steel worker? Body builder? Iron man competitor? If so AND its still Kinda Tuff,, then its most likely too tite, but as long as its not squeakin & makin you nuts,, then, I dont see the problem,,except that tighter than optimal would increase wear on everything in that power transfer system and would increase gas use, Im no tuff guy, but I can rotate a fully slack lower 1/2 of the belt 90* with finger tips,
Put the slack in the bottom by putting in gear & rolling back,

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The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

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rl153 Serious Thumper Offline S40 Just right! Posts: 906 Bloomfield,CT Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #12 - 07/23/13 at 14:57:06 Oh,your supposed to put it in gear and roll it back.I didn't get that. let me try this again.
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rl153 Serious Thumper Offline S40 Just right! Posts: 906 Bloomfield,CT Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #13 - 07/23/13 at 15:08:06 OK,I put it in first gear, rolled it back,and did the twist test. It made a significant difference ,and it is fine.Thanks guys, I was worried there for a minute.
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WD Serious Thumper 2005 No Login Offline Professional "scooter trash". Posts: 5207 Rosemark TN Gender:	Re: Belt gauge reading Reply #14 - 07/23/13 at 15:13:07 No worries, that's why we hang out here. Awful lot of info is left out of the manuals on these bikes.
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