Drive Belt - Arctic Cat BEARCAT F5 Operator's Manual


NOTE: When new brake pads are
installed, a "burnishing" process is
required. Drive the snowmobile slowly
and compress the brake lever several
times until the pads just start to warm
up; then allow them to cool down. This
procedure stabilizes the pad material
and extends the life of the pads.

Drive Belt

The drive belt transfers power from the
drive clutch to the driven clutch. If the
belt is worn, cracked, or stretched, maxi-
mum power will not be transmitted and
the belt could also fail and therefore must
be replaced. Periodic checks (at least
once a month under normal usage) of two
drive belt specifications are essential.
1. Measure the outside circumference
of the drive belt. The belt should be
within the recommended range in
circumference (see appropriate spec-
ifications sheet).
2. Measure the outside width of the
drive belt. The belt should be within
the recommended range in width.
3. Check the belt for cracking, fraying, etc.
If any of the specifications or conditions
are unsatisfactory, replace the drive belt.

NOTE: Drive belts should be pur-
chased from an authorized Arctic Cat
Snowmobile dealer, as Arctic Cat drive
belts are made to exact specifications
and of quality material. Belts made by
other manufacturers may not be of the
same specifications or quality and,
therefore, usage could result in poor
performance and premature belt failure.

NOTE: Before starting the snowmo-
bile in extremely cold temperatures,
the drive belt should be removed and
warmed up to room temperature.
Once the drive belt is at room temper-
ature, install the drive belt.
Also, new drive belts have a break-in period
of approximately 25 miles. After installing a
new drive belt, drive the snowmobile for 25
miles at 3/4 throttle or less. By revving the
engine up and down (but not exceeding 60
mph), the exposed cord on the side of a new
belt will be worn down. This allows the
drive belt to gain its optimum flexibility and
will extend drive belt life.
CAUTION
Never run the engine with the drive
belt removed. Excessive revving of
the engine could result in serious
engine damage and drive clutch fail-
ure.
Checking/Adjusting Drive
Belt Deflection
The drive belt must have the proper fit in
the drive clutch and driven clutch. To
check for proper drive belt fit, use the
following procedure.
1. Place a straightedge on the top of the
drive belt. The straightedge should
reach from the drive clutch to the top
of the driven clutch.

NOTE: Make sure the drive belt is
all the way out in the driven clutch
before checking drive belt deflection.
2. Using a stiff ruler centered between
the drive clutch and driven clutch,
push down on the drive belt just
enough to remove all slack and note
the amount of deflection. The deflec-
tion should be within the range of
28.5-31.8 mm (1 1/8-1 1/4 in.).
3. To correct drive belt deflection,
remove the sheave adjuster from the
clutch, remove or add shim washers
to the adjuster, and install the
adjuster.

NOTE: Adding shim washers will
decrease belt deflection and remov-
ing shim washers will increase belt
deflection. Available shim washers
from Arctic Cat are p/n 0648-714
(0.090 in.) - one included in the tool
kit, p/n 0648-715 (0.030 in.), and p/n
0648-716 (0.060 in.).
0743-319
45