Has anyone replaced a fan belt with a link belt?

[4570Man]

My dads B7100 broke the fan belt and replacing it with a regular belt will require pulling the hood, radiator, whatever else is in the way and likely hauling 70 miles home since there aren’t many tools on site. A link belt could be put together after its snaked through and avoid all that. Anyone seen a problem?

 

[Industrial Toys]

A friend borrowed my Steiner and stump cutter, broke the (PTO) belt and for sake of convenience, replaced it with one of those red segmented belts. He did OK. I broke it almost immediately. Personally, I have no use for them.

 

[the old grind]

I wouldn't use a linked v-belt to drive a hydraulic pump or for other high torque/load applications, say piston air compressors. For alternator/water pump/fan .. I'd give it a shot on a CUT or SCUT. You can remove the big bits or replace again if it doesn't last forever.

The linked ones have proven themselves to me when used on drill presses, <12"-swing Asian lathes and vertical mills (mini-bridgie type), thickness planers, band saws, and more. Keeping an eye on belt tension with them can be more critical, and you don't want to reuse/lengthen by adding unworn links to one with 'many miles' on it, making it more difficult.

btw, borrowers will ramrod and/or break your stuff quicker than you ever would, especially those with button-mashing video game proclivities. Just sayin' ... t o g

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually, the guy that borrowed my Steiner is a mechanical/electrical genius and machinist. There are few people I lend my stuff to. It took me to break it. He warned me about hogging the cutter on other occasions.

Those belts have little stretch and little material that sits down in the pulley groove. They probably dissipate heat well though.

 

[oosik]

From what you are describing - I would DEFINITELY give it a try. What have you got to loose. If it works - great. It if breaks - you haven't really lost that much. Just be sure to let your dad know if you go the link-belt way.

 

[4570Man]

From what you are describing - I would DEFINITELY give it a try. What have you got to loose. If it works - great. It if breaks - you haven't really lost that much. Just be sure to let your dad know if you go the link-belt way.

It’s his deal to fix although I’ll probably still be the one doing it. I didn’t borrow it.

 

[oosik]

See - now there is a son that knows how to make his dad happy.

 

[Turbys_1700]

See - now there is a son that knows how to make his dad happy.

I just put one on my Groundsmaster 325-d. Works fine. Had to remove a couple links to adjust it as tight as possible. It is running my alternator and water pump. I have 4 hours on it currently. Saved me several hours of aggravation removing the PTO drive shaft. Well worth the additional cost versus a regular v belt for hard to get to applications.

 

[Ortimber]

We put one of those on our JD 350 dozer water pump. It’s worked well for several years.

Putting a conventional belt on that machine is a royal PIA. You have to take half the machine apart. No thanks!

 

[otlski]

On my Jinma, I broke an alternator belt while plowing snow. I finished up, pulled it into the garage and put a link belt on it. I plowed three more times in the next three nights until the new belt came in. It did fine for light duty work in pinch.