Drive Belts And Specifications; Base Cracking; Fabric Rupture; Cover Tear - Fleetwood Bounder 1987 Owner's Manual

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major repair expense. It must be replaced with
one of the same part number or with an equiva-
lent part if it becomes worn or damaged. Do not
use a replacement part of lesser quality or
substitute design.
DRIVE BEL TS AND SPECIFICA TIONS
Proper care and maintenance of drive belts is an im-
portant part of good engine maintenance. Proper belt
tension and the condition of the pulley grooves are
of primary concern.
Since belts and pulleys wear with use, look at all
frictional surface areas for signs of wear. Normal wear
can be recognized as even wear, belts will eventual-
ly show evidence of base cracking (see below).
Replace belts before or as soon as cracking becomes
evident. Unusual signs of wear indicate some correc-
tive action is necessary.
When checking, remember failed or partially failed
belts shown to be"defective may have been damag-
ed by a bad pulley, a misaligned drive or by some faulty
mechanical component.
VIEW 1
BASE
CRACKING
VIEW 2
FABRIC
RUPTURE
VIEW 3
COVER
TEAR
VIEW 4
SLIP
BURN
VIEW 5
"GOUGED
EDGE
VfEW 6
WORN
SIDES
I
hu." .. '.' ".
.~ , ." , l,· -.
".j
1
Base Cracking
Excessive CJoss-checking (View 1) extEmdinginto
the rubber on the· base of a belt and showing little or
no side wear indicates that the belt has run a relatively
short time and that it must be replaced. Small cracks
only in, the cover material do not Indicate be!'t failure.
. If the belt fails after three or four seasons of use,
the bel't should not be classified as being defective.
However, if the base of the belt also shoWs
crq~~-
checking, the belt has been exposed to weather to
the extent that the inner fabric is beginning to rot.
Fabric Rupture
A fabric rupture (View 2) can be caused by
operating a belt over a badly worn pulley, by too much
tension which forces the belt down into the groove,
or by foreign objects falling into the pulley groove
while the drive is operating.
Cover Tear
A tear in the cover of a belt (View
3)
is normally
a result of the belt accidentally coming into contact
with some part of the application. It is no fault of the
belt or its construction.
65
Cover tears are usually caused by belts running too
loose, allowing them to "throw-out" centrifugally and
rub other parts of the application. Proper belt tension
will prevent this from happening.
NOTE: A slight raveling of the belt covering at
the splice location does not Indicate imminent
belt failure. Simply cut off loose raveling.
Slip Burn
This belt (View
4)
was ruined by operating too loose.
The belt slipped under load. And when it finally
grabbed, it snapped.
Proper belt tension would have avoided this failure .. :.,. .
..
,
,.;.'"
Gouged Edge
A gouged edge in a belt (View
5)
can be caused by
a damaged pulley or interference with some part of
the application.
Check the condition of the pulley. Make sure the
belt does not rub on any part of the application while
operating ..
Worn Sides
:Badly worn:belt ,sides·.(View,,6hresult ,from. long
operation without'enolJgh tension; The)sideswill be
worn and slightly burned around the. entire.
circumference. . .
Check for proper belt tension. Also check:the pulleys
forincorrectalignmeni.. ". ,.... "
Excessive Stretch
A belt that stretches excessively is one that
stretches beyond the adjustment provided to take up
normal belt stretch. .