Torque Converter questions

[ekywildcat]

Okay, have a Fox Hornet cart, 6 hp Subaru. Runs really smooth, since my grandson has quit hogging it, I've been riding some. Lots of fun, I may buy another if I can find one for the right price.

Anyway, I cleaned the TC, looked good to me, the buttons were all there and not worn much, used fine emery cloth and polished what looked to need polishing, the belt was a 5959, looked good, but was frayed just a little on the engine side.

So, my question, I weigh 215 lbs. When I take off, I can tell the belt slips a little, it's fine after I get going, but if I slow down, it slips a little getting back up to speed. I figure this is normal considering I'm dealing with a belt and my fat rear end. I've been reading up on adjusting the preload on the driven spring, would it help going to the first hole, locks up quicker from what I understand? What say the experts?

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Measure the width of the top of the belt and compare it to stock width.

Also take the belt and turn it inside out and mate the outside(now inside) surfaces and check to see if there is excessive wear in spots.

 

[ekywildcat]

Good point, I don't know why I didn't think to measure the width when I had the cover off. The inside of the belt is flat from what I've read, so you're saying to put the flat sides together and see if there are any gaps?

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Yup.
Sitting at idle for prolonged time can wear out a spot on the belt. It will be narrower and slip at random times. It makes for jerky takeoffs and such.

 

[ekywildcat]

Okay. Thanks, I'll check that out soon.

 

[ekywildcat]

Well finally got back to the kart, and the belt only measured 5/8". I was in trucking for 35 years and I never had as many problems getting truck parts as I have trying to get the right belt.

The old belt was a 5959. Order one from Amazon. To short. So I start measuring, my old belt measures 27 1/4" the Amazon belt was 26 5/8". They say keep it and we'll issue credit. Great. Found a local store with one that was also to short. So I find out that my kart takes a 203589A. Everbody sells me a 203589. I got one today from MFG said 203589A on the wrapper. Great. Belt has 203589 stamped on it. Sure enough, I can't get it on.

Is there anywhere I can order the 203589A belt and be confident it will be the right one. And I'm not paying $50 for one.

I think tomorrow I'll see if I can slide the motor and use the shorter belt. They seem to be plentiful. Sorry for the rambling, but I'm really getting PO.

---------- Post added at 04:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:24 PM ----------

One more thing, a belt should slide on fairly easy right? No stretching?

 

[bob58o]

Is there anywhere I can order the 203589A belt and be confident it will be the right one. And I'm not paying $50 for one.

Ebay.... search 203589 comet belt. Contact the seller. Verify the length.

Belts don't go on very easy. Not new ones anyway. I need to remove the Driver unit sometimes to get them on.... Or stretch them over the driver pulley and rotate it till it slips on.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Ebay.... search 203589 comet belt. Contact the seller. Verify the length.

Belts don't go on very easy. Not new ones anyway. I need to remove the Driver unit sometimes to get them on.... Or stretch them over the driver pulley and rotate it till it slips on.

I've found that a pinch in the middle of the driver and driven should allow just barely enough to slide onto the driven shaft.
Any tighter or looser is probably the wrong belt.

 

[bob58o]

I've found that a pinch in the middle of the driver and driven should allow just barely enough to slide onto the driven shaft.
Any tighter or looser is probably the wrong belt.

You would know better than me. How many belts have you gone though in your miles and miles of Baja adventures? And do you buy them by the pallet?

 

[Bbqjoe]

I think all day my bike has gone through the original (TC and belt) from GKUSA.
The belt wasn't toast yet, but I broke the plate with my own personal F U.

I got a new TC from sleezebay and some $8 belts.
In the meantime another belt showed up that I paid about $30 for at GKusa.
I compared all the belts and saw the GK was superior.

I have put untold miles on that setup. As a matter of fact, I'm close to replacing the weights, but the belt seems to be holding up.

 

[ekywildcat]

Thanks for the responses Bob and Joe. Only had the kart a few months, not much running time, mostly my grandson. To install the belt, I take the bolt out of the driver pulley and remove the outside part, and it would still take some stretching to get it on the shaft. The old one just goes right on, of course I'm sure it's stretched some.

I may try the MFG belt and see what happens. And I've searched Ebay. Both belts I ordered were shorter than advertised by a good 1/2". The Chinese need to get a better conversion formula.

 

[Bbqjoe]

I know nobody wants to spend $30+ on a belt, but you get what you pay for.
If you get a number of hundreds of miles trouble free out of it, I think it's worth it.

A little tiny bit of stretch is ok. but if it's too tight, things are going to wear.
Mostly the brass idler bushing. Which isn't required on some TCs, and I found unnecessary.
So you might try leaving that out to make up for a tight belt.

 

[ekywildcat]

I know nobody wants to spend $30+ on a belt, but you get what you pay for.
If you get a number of hundreds of miles trouble free out of it, I think it's worth it.

A little tiny bit of stretch is ok. but if it's too tight, things are going to wear.
Mostly the brass idler bushing. Which isn't required on some TCs, and I found unnecessary.
So you might try leaving that out to make up for a tight belt.

After you mentioned the bushing I looked and mine is already gone. Anyway I slide the driven pulley out, put the belt around it, and I was able to get the belt around the driver.

Started the engine and the kart creeps a little. Don't like it. MFG has a belt 27 23/64" OC. I think that would be perfect, hope I can return the other one. Probably order a bushing too, in case the other is a little to long.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Were you sitting in it when it crept?

 

[ekywildcat]

Were you sitting in it when it crept?

No, I could hold it pretty easily. I may run it if I can't slide the engine, I'm going to check on that tomorrow. All it could do is wear the belt quicker right? No damage to the driven clutch?

 

[Bbqjoe]

In your case, the brass bushing is probably needed.

 

[ekywildcat]

The bushing will make it tighter. Is the bushing a slip fit or do you have to drive it on?

 

[Bbqjoe]

The bushing will make it tighter. Is the bushing a slip fit or do you have to drive it on?

Gawd no! It slips right on.
Realistically, if the kart creeps slightly, but stays still when you're on it, things will probably be ok.
If the inside of the belt wears a little it won't really hurt anything.
It's the sides of the belt that matter.

 

[ekywildcat]

Okay, thanks for all the info. Checked a while ago, and the engine won't slide, so we'll probably just run it.