Time to replace the belt on My old sawmill

[fellah101]

Went out to fire up the mill this week and right away I knew something was off. The blade wasn't spinning up like it should and the smell of hot rubber hit me before I even shut it down. Sure enough, the drive belt is glazed over and starting to crack. Can't say I'm surprised, it's been on there a good while and I've pushed it through more logs than I probably should have anyway

I've swapped chains and bearings plenty of times, but I haven't actually had to replace this belt before but I realized I'd need to prolly ask, is it difficult to replace serpentine belt?
If it'll give me too much stress, maybe I'd just buy another one ?

 

[hield201]

Went out to fire up the mill this week and right away I knew something was off. The blade wasn't spinning up like it should and the smell of hot rubber hit me before I even shut it down. Sure enough, the drive belt is glazed over and starting to crack. Can't say I'm surprised, it's been on there a good while and I've pushed it through more logs than I probably should have anyway

I've swapped chains and bearings plenty of times, but I haven't actually had to replace this belt before but I realized I'd need to prolly ask, is it difficult to replace serpentine belt?
If it'll give me too much stress, maybe I'd just buy another one ?

Swapping a mill belt is easier than you think and way cheaper than a new mill. If you can handle chains and bearings, you can definitely do this. Trust me, it's one of the simplest fixes you can do.

 

[TheWoodPecker]

Not too bad much stress, usually just loosening the tensioner, slipping the old belt off, and routing the new one the same way, its more patience than muscle

 

[Kyeeel_]

Just remember to clean those pulleys before you put on the new belt. Get rid of any old rubber bits. Doing that will help the new belt last longer.

 

[12three]

Take a photo of the belt path first, or check the diagram on the mill

 

[EileenLepant]

Don’t underestimate how tight some of these drive assemblies are. You might have to shift gearbox position, remove covers, or even partially remove the drive housing to get the belt past the obstructions. Go slow, don’t force parts.