Thread: Drive belt keeps slipping off Hafco bandsaw

Is this the type of belt you're referring to? Does it have any Nos. or lettering on the outside like you see on this one?

Belt.JPG
Providing your drive pulley and driven pulley are aligned correctly with each other, some play in the idler shouldn't cause the belt to come off.
Is the idler on the outside of the belt?

Just found this parts list which I think belongs to your saw. The drive belt is right at the bottom of the list and has a P/No.4PJ610 which means it has 4 ribs and is 610mm long. These details will allow a transmission supply place to source one for you.

Thanks Dallas, the model no. is EBAS312, the belt looks like its made from rubber and there is no lettering, it looks like its got 3 ribs but the belt is pretty worn. With the alignment, if you rotate the pulley wheel in reverse the belt stays on, if you rotate it in the proper direction the belt tries to come off. What do you think?

This is the belt I need, referred to as a poly rib belt, would bearing places have these?

Why not just get it from H&F. Would save some leg work. Last time I ordered something from them it was at my door the next morning.
While the old belt is off check that the drive pulley has not moved on the shaft and that both pulleys are in line and tight on the shafts. A grub screw may have worked loose. When that happens the pulley can creep along the shaft a bit and you can even loose the shaft key. Had that happen and key and grub screw sucked out with the sawdust never to be seen again.
Regards
John

Thanks John, have been quoted approx $41 which is pretty expensive for what it is. Happy to pay it but if there's a local supplier I'd be happier to buy it from them. Not impressed with the run-around from H and F staff. Both pulleys are tight on their shafts, the motor one is very hard to shift even though the grub screw is a little loose. Hard to get a straight edge in there to measure alignment but I'll see what I can do.

Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks Dallas, the model no. is EBAS312, the belt looks like its made from rubber and there is no lettering, it looks like its got 3 ribs but the belt is pretty worn. With the alignment, if you rotate the pulley wheel in reverse the belt stays on, if you rotate it in the proper direction the belt tries to come off. What do you think?

It does sound like an alignment problem if it is okay in one direction and not the other. Are you able to post a photo for inside where the pulleys are from a couple of different angles?

Originally Posted by Tiger

This is the belt I need, referred to as a poly rib belt, would bearing places have these?

If your bearing supplier also sell belts then they certainly can get one for you if they don't have it in stock.Just take yours with you and they can match it.

image.jpgimage.jpgWheel pulley is behind the main wheel making it impossible to check alignment with the motor pulley which is in the bottom right.

You compressed the photos too much and I can hardly see any detail with my aging eyes with such small images.

Originally Posted by Treecycle

You compressed the photos too much and I can hardly see any detail with my aging eyes with such small images.

Sorry Dallas, I had a few problems uploading the photos, they show up alright on my computer. Can you make anything out? Also realised that the photos are transposed and upside down. Not sure if you can see but impossible to measure alignment of the pulleys because the pulleys are behind the main wheel.

$41 for a multi-ribbed belt for that BS is close to what I would expect to pay at a belt supplier place.

I have bought a couple of ribbed belts from Rydell - one was for my small Woodfast lathe after I modified it with a larger motor and a VFD so that it had to sit under the lathe. The required a belt that was twice as long as the regular belt and that one cost me $35.

The other one was for an engraving machine at the mens shed ant that one cost $45.

Looking at your photos I can see the belt is hanging over the edge of the idler which may be the cause of your problem

Belt.jpg

Thanks Bob, Dallas and John for the guidance. I have received the new belt and upon installing it, it no longer slips. The grooves in the belt track well with the pulley so it stays intact, the old belt would just fall off.