Got the bike, concern about primary belt length

[Greybeard]

I received the bike chainmaker was building. Its an H motor in an early Panther. It came in two boxes and I'm slowly reassembling it. Found a couple things that were probably driving Chainmaker bonkers, but I've got one that just doesn't look right to me. It came with a new primary belt, a Gates ax26. When I put it on it pulled the clutch spring a long way. I reset the spring holders to the loosest they have available and it's much better, but nearly .050" between the coils still. Is there a measurement of some kind that I should be using, or is this just a new belt issue?
The rear belt is still too loose, and I've taken nearly all I can with the motor mounts. The axles are in the center of the dropout, so I was going to remove the chain tomarrow and see if it'll come tight when I move the wheel back.
I'm in no hurry, so it's fun seeing how it all goes together.

 

[Quenton Guenther]

Hi Greybeard,

Your issues with the front belt has to do with a liberal view of actual belt size. Gates is the worst as the belt is way too short. Try to locate a belt that is actually correct. The vintage Whizzers do use an AX26 [28" long], but it really needs to be 28" long, not 27.5". Try to find a PIX brand [owned by John Deer] or a CADNA brand [Memphis, TN] which is far more accurate in actual size. If you have a difficult time locating the correct belt, you can try an 155275 which is an "automotive wedge" belt. The 155275 is 15/32 wide and 27.5" long. The belt is not as wide as the AX series and will set lower in the pullyes requiring it to be shorter. The slightly smaller belt will aslo alter the drive ratios making it take-off a little quicker, and less top end [maybe 1 MPH less]. Just like other belts, they may not be exact because of the liberal application of size. As an example, the DAYCO brand [sold at Advance Auto] isn't 15/32" wide and simply won't fit correctly.

If you install the correct length front belt the rear belt might fit correctly as the longer front belt will allow the clutch pulley to sit higher and reduce the clearance on the rear belt.

Have fun,