Comet 30 TC question - why do the belts shred?

[zogthegreat]

Hi everyone!

So I'm planning a build this summer with my daughter and we are planning going to run a Comet 30 clone torque converter. I keep reading about how the clone torque converters keep on tearing up belts and I was wondering what the main reasons are and what can be done to prevent belt destruction?

Also, she wants to ride off road, (either a go kart or mini bike, she hasn't made up her mind YET! ), and my converter came with a red spring. Will this be OK for off road or should I order a different spring?

Thanks

zog

 

[anickode]

Hi everyone!

So I'm planning a build this summer with my daughter and we are planning going to run a Comet 30 clone torque converter. I keep reading about how the clone torque converters keep on tearing up belts and I was wondering what the main reasons are and what can be done to prevent belt destruction?

Also, she wants to ride off road, (either a go kart or mini bike, she hasn't made up her mind YET! ), and my converter came with a red spring. Will this be OK for off road or should I order a different spring?

Thanks

zog

Belts shred from misuse. Period. (Running damaged clutch components being the exception)

Improper alignment
Improper center to center distance and/or wrong belt length
Too much power (such as running a 1" 30 series on a predator 420 or a heavily modded 212
Too tall a gear ratio

The spring will depend on your drive ratio, wheel size, weight of the kart, etc, but a yellow spring will effectively keep it in a lower gear for longer, which is probably more desirable for off roading.

Unless "off roading" is blasting around a gravel /grass/dirt track where you will be running WOT a lot.

 

[zogthegreat]

Unless "off roading" is blasting around a gravel /grass/dirt track where you will be running WOT a lot.

LOL, I keep trying to explain to her that skillful driving is better than a fast motor, but...

well she is 12, so....

(EDIT)
BTW, are all belts equal or are some better than others? I.e. Gator belts vs Chinese belts.

 

[itsid]

the original Comet belts are most often the best belts you can get (even for the clones)
Some say the GTC belts are of good quality as well, but I heard a complaint about those once or twice as well..

chinese belts are hit and miss... some are perfectly fine and hold for hundreds of hours, some crap out after a few miles.. *shrugs*

Sure thing however: it must be a series30 TC belt of correct length for sure, no generic v-belt will do the job properly.

'sid

 

[zogthegreat]

Do you have any links for original Comet 30 belts? I want to buy some spares before I go back to Canada in May.

 

[itsid]

these seem to be the real deal:
https://www.gokartsupply.com/tcbelts.htm

or some ebay sellers..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Manco-Ding...ve-belt-203589A-5959-Fits-TAV-2-/122196569263

'sid

 

[zogthegreat]

OUCH!

I only paid $57.00 for the torque converter!

Still, it will probably be cheaper to buy one than 4 or 5 cheap belts.

 

[landuse]

Don't cheap out on belts!! You will regret it

 

[Nosandwich]

Yeah, you don't want your pants falling down.... JK.

 

[KartFab]

OUCH!

I only paid $57.00 for the torque converter!

Still, it will probably be cheaper to buy one than 4 or 5 cheap belts.

hey, at least you didnt pay $200 for the real deal https://www.gokartsupply.com/tavapp.htm

 

[anickode]

hey, at least you didnt pay $200 for the real deal https://www.gokartsupply.com/tavapp.htm

Probably feel better about buying $30 belts for it though.

At least it's not as bad as printer ink. Cheaper to buy a new printer half the time.

 

[Joe-405]

I have had my barstool racer built for a few years now with the 30 series clone full setup and have never changed a belt. And it makes 11+hp and will run 50+mph

Edit : So yeah correct gearing to match the vehicle weight plays a bigger part of that shredding equation I think personally. Get the gearing right and your over half the way there.

 

[landuse]

Probably feel better about buying $30 belts for it though.

At least it's not as bad as printer ink. Cheaper to buy a new printer half the time.

I have done this several times!!! The cost of a new printer (including ink) is cheaper than replacing the ink cartridge. No wonder people dispose of electronics so easily

 

[zogthegreat]

(chuckle), I don't like my printer, so I'm waiting for it to run out of ink so that I can get a different one!

 

[KartFab]

I read somewhere that HP had about 50% of its profits from ink cartridges. They sell their ink printers super cheap, and sell their ink cartridges super expensive. I switched to laser last year and am pretty happy with the printer.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

Drinks are to Mcdonalds as Ink Cartridges are to HP. Bob, write this in an equation.

 

[zogthegreat]

Belts shred from misuse. Period. (Running damaged clutch components being the exception)

Improper alignment
Improper center to center distance and/or wrong belt length
Too much power (such as running a 1" 30 series on a predator 420 or a heavily modded 212
Too tall a gear ratio.

How does the belt become improperly aligned? I'm playing with my converter right now and I don't see any way to adjust the alignment.

 

[anickode]

How does the belt become improperly aligned? I'm playing with my converter right now and I don't see any way to adjust the alignment.

It usually happens during setup when you put the shim washers on the shafts behind the pulleys. A lot of times they don't come with enough, and people don't bother to buy more. Different engines have different shaft lengths, different offset for the mounting face, etc, so there is no set number of washers to be used.

Or if the backplate gets bent, something comes loose, etc.

 

[KartFab]

to check alignment you just take a straight edge, like a ruler, and you run it against the backplate of the drive and driven units they should be pretty close to lined up