BDL belt drive alignment taper spline

[james]

Sunday April 15
I'm installing a BDL belt drive on my 52 panhead.
Everything is stock and in good working order.
I have gone through the knowledge base on belt drives and clutches.
Everything bolts up just fine, I even have belt free play without the trans crushing
against the tear pipe. What I do have is the belt rubbing or just touching the
clutch basket lip. I tried loosening the trans to try and get just a little adjustment or
shift to remedy this situation. It looks to me like the clutch drum has to come out
away from the hub about 1/8 inch to keep the belt from touching the drum.
I know alignment is critical on belts so I need some help here.
I cranked the engine over several times, the belt still just touches the drum.
I have a stock type hub with roller bearings not the ball bearing assembly.

Thanks in advance,
Jim

[Hog54]

They all touch a little bit ,dont worry about it.

[gish]

hi jim ,
hog 54 is correct , but i just did my 54 pan with a bdl belt drive , i had a similar thing but the belt caught a fair amount on the clutch drum , i had to loosen the engine fixing bolts and just jiggle the engine to bring it inline with the trans , i found that when i put a straight edge on the engine sprocket flat , it ran away from the trans slightly , i had no play available on the trans , so the engine had to be loosened and shifted in on the back [ if I'm making myself clear ] , .
you don't have any washer behind the engine belt sprocket do you ?

jeff

[james]

Jeff
No washer behind the engine sprocket, can't, it's tapered.
I understand what your talking about with shifting the engine around and
I know there isn't much room for fudging the engine, but I will try that and see what happens.
Just need a little bit.
Thanks

Jim

[james]

Hog54
I'm making a big deal out of nothing?
Then thanks for the reply.
It makes me feel better.

Jim

[Hog54]

Mine rubbed a little when I put the belt on 16 years ago.Its still on there.

I have a primo belt but I have put on both types hundreds of times and never seen one not rub against the back of the clutch basket.

[JR JOHNSON]

hi,is your clutch hub friction disc wore to the rivets?that will space you a bit out with a new one.if it floats on the pulleys,you'll be fine,if it's squawks,its not rite.they have a a little bit longer belt to..............JR........

[james]

Howdy JR
I know where your going here. The friction disc on the hub is near new.
I was thinking of adding a nylatron disc on top of it but I don't feel right about it.
That would definately kick it out 3/16" but it doesn't seem right.
I need to get this thing fixed before Oley, that's 2 weeks.

Thanks JR

Jim

[JR JOHNSON]

hi Jim,with your belt line up,how is your drive chain look,just remember, when you loosen up everything up front,now do we have a prob in the back,wheel cocked to line up the chain ect.had that prob on my 50,frame was bent .with respect.JR..............also,is the clutch hub after market? heard story's of miss cut tappers, to deep ect,hub not line type stuff,chains are forgiving,belts not.....JR

[Hog54]

Howdy JR
I know where your going here. The friction disc on the hub is near new.
I was thinking of adding a nylatron disc on top of it but I don't feel right about it.
That would definately kick it out 3/16" but it doesn't seem right.
I need to get this thing fixed before Oley, that's 2 weeks.

Thanks JR

Jim

Its fine.Dont believe me?Call the belt company.Like I said,I never seen one that didnt rub.It will rub for a couple miles and then it wont.

[james]

JR
Drive chain is lined up and adjusted properly. It goes hand in hand with any adjusting of the primary.
What I am experencing is a slight touching of the BDL primary belt drive against the BDL clutch hub.
Mr Hog 54 says not to worry that it won't be a problem. He has seen it before.
I was concerned that it may wear the belt on the outside edge.
Jeff said to try shifting the engine around with what little you have to work with but doesn't sound like a
bad idea. My perceived problem is all up front, or maybe it's not a problem at all.
Once I get the engine running I'll see how it goes. Leave the outer primary cover off with the engine running.

Thanks for your advice, with respect
Jim
I'll let you all know how it goes when its running.
hopefully in the next 2 weeks.

[Hog54]

JR
Drive chain is lined up and adjusted properly. It goes hand in hand with any adjusting of the primary.
What I am experencing is a slight touching of the BDL primary belt drive against the BDL clutch hub.
Mr Hog 54 says not to worry that it won't be a problem. He has seen it before.
I was concerned that it may wear the belt on the outside edge.
Jeff said to try shifting the engine around with what little you have to work with but doesn't sound like a
bad idea. My perceived problem is all up front, or maybe it's not a problem at all.
Once I get the engine running I'll see how it goes. Leave the outer primary cover off with the engine running.

Thanks for your advice, with respect
Jim
I'll let you all know how it goes when its running.
hopefully in the next 2 weeks.

It does wear the belt a tiny bit on the outside edge,but it doesnt hurt it.These bikes were not designed to use a belt in the first place.Belts didnt come out on harleys till they had the tech and they had aluminum primarys to line them up.If you frame isnt perfectly straight down to the millimeter,you will never get the belt to not rub.And moving the motor isnt a good idea because now the top motormount wont align properly and then you will break motor mounts.Only on 55 and up pans can you use a thinner shim on the motor sprocket to line it up.

[james]

Ok I'm going with Hog54, bolt it all up and see what happens.

Jim

[UPSROD]

The belt will always go to the outside when turning counter clockwise.

[panbagger]

I've got a BDL drive had it for years, rubs on the clutch hub always has. Once the belt drive was installed i used a straight edge from for were the belt hits the hub to the front pulley for alinement. That's how I checked it. Scott