MBF Motorcycle Forums banner

How to completely ged rid of belt noise for $1

21K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  ndncowboy 
#1 ·
I'm so frikking happy I just had to share this .... with you guys. I've been having squeaking sounds from my belt for a long time...until TODAY.

I've been adjusting the band, tightening it, loosenig it all to no avail. I just found out that the real reason for the belt noise is this:

The sides of the belt become hardened because they grind up to the pulley, so after a while they build up a hard cap that makes the squeaking sound.

All you have to do to fix this is to buy a sandpaper with the finest grade and smooth off both sides of the band and VOILA - not a sound, brand spanking new!!! :eek:hyea:

Happy grinding folks.
 
#8 ·
I tried ajusting the belt from side to side and making it in the middle, but I felt as if the wheel was cocked when the belt was centered. Even the two axle gauge didn't match with the same #. Regaurdless the squeek was still there. I will try anything.
thanks for the pointer.
 
#9 ·
I tried everything under the sun to get rid of belt noise, I finally got a tube of Harley Davidson Poly Oil, it works like a dream and doesn't gunk up the belt and just 2 very small dabs does the trick. I put it on 3 weeks ago and it is still squeak free, Wish I had tried this stuff years ago. It's like 4.00 a tube and at the rate I am using it, it will last many many years.
 
#14 ·
Belt squeaking

I will try your sandpaper trick when I have a chance. Another thing that works well, and last a long time, is "belt dressing" from your local auto supply store. Just spray it on the whole belt (primarily on the edge that's rubbing against the pully). 2,000 miles of squeak free riding so far! I was in the middle of a 3,200 mile ride (from Colorado to Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, California, Nevada, Utah then back home) and I just couldn't stand the squeaking. I stopped at an ACE hardward and bought a 1/2" breaker bar and 27mm socket so I could try to adjust the squeak out (I had brought my "custom bent" 12mm wrench with me). No matter which way I adjusted, I could only get about 75% of the squeak to stop. Finally, in California, I stopped at an auto supply and bought the belt dressing and sprayed it on. Magic! No more squeak!
 
#15 ·
I bought my FXR4 back from my buddy and at 29K the squeak from the belt was pretty loud. I raised the rear wheel and slowly turned the wheel and could easily hear the squeak from the belt. I removed the lower belt guard for easy access to belt. I took emery cloth to the sides of the belt as mentioned above. I vigorously used/abused a small stiff stainless wire brush on each belt tooth and removed the shine off the entire inside of the belt. It was a little workout and I got filthy hands, but the squeak is gone.
 
#18 ·
I'm so frikking happy I just had to share this .... with you guys. I've been having squeaking sounds from my belt for a long time...until TODAY.

I've been adjusting the band, tightening it, loosenig it all to no avail. I just found out that the real reason for the belt noise is this:

The sides of the belt become hardened because they grind up to the pulley, so after a while they build up a hard cap that makes the squeaking sound.

All you have to do to fix this is to buy a sandpaper with the finest grade and smooth off both sides of the band and VOILA - not a sound, brand spanking new!!! :eek:hyea:

Happy grinding folks.
Hi and thanks for the tip. I’ll definitely try it, but my belt sounds more like birds chirping than a squeak. In fact it sounds more like a whole flock! It seems to only do it when accelerating but will do it at low rpm’s if I’m lugging at all. Anyone else’s sound more like birds?
 
#19 ·
I ride a lot of gravel roads and never once had a bird chirping sound so maybe there is something to the sandpaper suggestion. When I lived where I didn't have to ride gravel roads I just used a bar of soap to quiet the birdies. Two completely different ways and you have to repeat in both cases. I have no idea how soon with sandpaper since I never used that method.
 
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top