GC 2410 belt change help

[Dmacleo]

Worst case is actually, it fails at a really bad time, and or takes out the radiator when it lets go.

fortunately, we have CarlGlas stepping up, and volunteering to be a team MF test pilot.

I think we would all agree, that if it lasts 5 years, it's a fix?

I'll go on the record saying, I believe it will work that long.

I also think it will work. been thinking about grabbing one for my 2010 GC2400 even thogh my belt still has lot of adjustment left in it.

 

[CarlGlas]

I believe the Accu-Link belts were originally intended to be used on table saws and other electric motor-driven items which spin considerably faster than the engine on the tractor. From the many videos I have watched, it seems those that used them and had issues were caused by them not re-tensioning the belt after the initial use and the slack caused damage to the belt. The good thing about these belts is the damaged link can be replaced. The temperatures in my little part of Texas (Galveston/Houston area) have been in the upper 90s and into the 100s with the heat index so it will probably be a few days before I replace the old belt which will be after I replace the steering cylinder I had rebuilt due to leaking seals. I will publish pictures. Thanks

 

[ray66v]

Belt tension is critical for the life of the belt and the bearings.

I would think on that type of belt, it is even more critical.

You're going to want to make sure it stays in the Goldilocks zone.

 

[Dmacleo]

I believe the Accu-Link belts were originally intended to be used on table saws and other electric motor-driven items which spin considerably faster than the engine on the tractor. From the many videos I have watched, it seems those that used them and had issues were caused by them not re-tensioning the belt after the initial use and the slack caused damage to the belt. The good thing about these belts is the damaged link can be replaced. The temperatures in my little part of Texas (Galveston/Houston area) have been in the upper 90s and into the 100s with the heat index so it will probably be a few days before I replace the old belt which will be after I replace the steering cylinder I had rebuilt due to leaking seals. I will publish pictures. Thanks

my temps, over a year, range from -28 to 100 deg F.
but your point still stands true.
always check belt tension.
I can tell from paint on driveshaft my 2010 belt has never been changed.
but I'm gonna grab one of these types (maybe different brand) and toss it in truck tool box.
cause when miles away from home....ability to do quick repair matters.
and every time tractor/tiller is on trailer...its at least, 1 way, 15 miles. usually 25 miles 1 way.

 

[Dmacleo]

seems was a post that was deleted. it talked about really bad belt stretch, if I can find the dirtperfect youtube video on these styles being used on a dozer I will post it. I think its an issue with the brand used. the post brought out issues that really surprised me.

 

[CarlGlas]

Dave, you are correct, there was a post but I withdrew it for a rewrite after finally getting the belt properly adjusted and running the engine for a while. The belt didn't come with any instructions so my first experience with it was a little uneducated and discouraging. However, after watching a few videos from Fenner Drives (Power Twist) and Megadyne - Jason Industrial (Accu-Link) on how to properly adjust their belts, and after about five hours of use, I am satisfied that it will perform as well, if not better, than a traditional V Belt. I am still running the Chinese-made belt I bought on Amazon for $30. I have plenty of links left over should I ever have to make a repair. I also bought an Accu-Link. It cost $46.99 from a seller on Amazon. I compared the two belts and to me, they look the same. As far as quality, only time will tell. In any case, it’s still less expensive than taking it to a dealer to replace it with the traditional V Belt and certainly less time-consuming if you replaced it yourself.

The original post.

On Saturday, July 1st, I tackled installing the link belt. From start to finish it took about 4 hours. So, it wasn't as simple as I thought it would be. Of course, each time I removed and replaced it, it became easier and faster. If you decide to purchase one of these, after measuring the length, you will want to heat the belt, making it a little more manageable. After heating the material you will want to tie a string to the second or third link and slide the other end down from the left side so you can work it around the crank pulley. You will also want to remove the right-side cover so you can grasp the belt and interlock the ends. I pushed the alternator as far inward as it would go to give me plenty of room for adjustment as needed. I think the adjustment distance is probably 3 to 4 inches. Since a traditional replacement belt is 34 inches, I measured the link belt at 32 inches because I knew it would have slack after being run for a few minutes. After running the engine for a couple of minutes, the belt became like a rubber band and stretched about 2 inches. After readjusting again to remove the bouncing I was seeing with the engine running, I ran out of adjustment and had to remove the belt so I could remove more links. Then, after repeating the procedure, I had to remove the belt so I could remove more links. Completely removing the belt is easier and faster to remove the links than it is trying to do so while in the engine compartment. After running the engine for a few minutes I readjusted the belt about an inch and thought surely by now the slack had been removed and the belt was seated properly in the pullies. Well, this belt just keeps stretching. My initial measurement was 32 inches. After running the engine several times, I removed a total of 4 inches of links from the original measurement. I let the engine run for about 30 minutes and had to readjust it again. Now, I am halfway through the adjustment arm for the alternator and if continued, I will have to remove more links from the belt. I don't know when it will stop stretching, but I know that I am through adjusting. I don't know if I just received an inferior product, or if all of the reviews about this particular belt weren't real. Maybe I should have bought the green belt instead of the red belt. Better yet, I am going with the traditional belt. The original belt lasted 18 years. Maybe the next one will too.

 

[Dmacleo]

I did just find that vid I mentioned

 

[CarlGlas]

It looks like they could have benefitted from watching a video about the belt too.

 

[CarlGlas]

Here are the videos I mentioned earlier.

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[ray66v]

So, it remains to be seen for this application. But, it does seem as if it is still only a good as an emergency fix.

If that's the case, they have not done much to improve them in 50 years.