Drive Belt Removal/Installation - Arctic Cat Cougar Service Manual

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sponsive to increases in load. Conversely, low
cam angles will exert more side pressure and will
slow shifts until the load is reduced and speeds
are higher.
DRIVE BELT
The drive belt transmits power from the drive
pulley to the driven pulley. The belt provides a
vital link in the operation and performance of the
snowmobile. To ensure top performance, the
drive pulley, drive belt and driven pulley must be
matched to each other and to the snowmobile
model. The correct size drive belt must be in-
stalled. Belt width and length are critical to
proper operation. Belt wear affects clutch opera-
tion and shifting characteristics. Since normal
wear changes the width and length of the belt, it
must be frequently adjusted as described in this
chapter. See Table 1 for the width of a new drive
belt for your snowmobile.
During general use, there is no specific mile-
age or time limit on belt life. Belt life is directly
related to maintenance and the type of snowmo-
bile operation. The belt should be inspected at
the intervals listed in Chapter Three. Early belt
failure is abnormal and the cause should be de-
termined.
The center-to-center distance from the drive
pulley to the driven pulley and the offset of the
pulleys must be correctly maintained for good
performance and long belt life. Correct center-
to-center distance ensures correct belt tension
and reduction ratio. The correct Arctic Cat align:-
ment bar or equivalent is necessary for checking
the offset, alignment and parallelism. Different
alignment bars are used for the various models.
Check with your Arctic Cat dealer for the avail-
ability of the correct alignment bar for your
machine.
WARNING
Never lean into the snowmobile's engine
compartment while wearing a scmf or
other loose clothing when the engine is
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
running or when attempting to start the
engine. If the scarf or clothing should
catch in the drive belt or clutch, severe
injury or death could occur.
Removal/Installation
1. Open the hood.
2. Remove the cover from the drive pulley, belt
and driven pulley.
3. Check the drive belt for manufacturer's mark-
ings (Figure 7), so that during installation it will
run in the correct direction. If the belt is not
marked, draw an arrow on the belt pointing for-
ward or install a new belt.
4. Push against the driven pulley (Figure
7),
rotating it clockwise to separate the pulley
halves. Roll the belt over the driven pulley and
remove it.