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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I'm changing the rear tire and noticed that the plating that is on the pulley surface where the belt rides is about 1/3 worn and chipped off. Does anyone know if this means it needs to be replaced? The belt itself looks pretty good. Bike is a '13 with 45K on it.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| your fine all paint will be gone where belt rides. For the rest your OK its just aluminum so it will not rust.
If they or you take pulley off make sure you lock tight bolts and toque to the spec |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | http://www.hdforums.com/forum/touring-models/740144-rear-pulley-sur... |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Thanks for the link. Seems this plating is hard chrome. Its chipped off in rather big chunks leaving a bit of a sharp step between the exposed raw aluminum and the remaining chrome. Normally I'd just leave it alone since the belt looks pretty good but we're going on a 15K mile four corners + Nova Scotia ride in Sept/Oct and I can't afford to have something go wrong out in the middle of nowhere. Wife would be harder to deal with than the fix itself :-) I think I'm going to bite the bullet and replace the belt and rear pulley. The front one is steel so I'm assuming it should be fine. I'd sure like to know what Kevinx recommends. I think I'll PM him.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| You have NO chrome on your rear pulley. What you are seeing is shine aluminum. If your going to get new stuff make sure you keep old parts. Your belt and pulley should last 80 thousand miles. Look in your owners book it will show you what to look for on the belt for wear and there is something about measuring pulley
On your belt is says victory so you can read it left to right. If you ever put belt back on make sure you can read the name. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Don't think so John. The coating is chipping off and there is a distinct edge between the chip and the surface underneath. Looks like industrial hard chrome to me layered on top of the aluminum base to reduce wear. Seems like Harley did the same thing on some of theirs. Probably they're both made in the same Chinese factory :-) I looked in the Harley manual and the test is to take a sharp instrument like a scribe and try to scratch the surface. It says that if you are able to scratch the surface then you are down to base metal and to replace the pulley. If you can't scratch the surface then the chrome plating is intact. Check it out on the Harley forum. There are a bunch of threads on the chipping problem. I couldn't get a clear consensus from what I read. Some guys thought you could run it chipped as long as the teeth aren't worn while others recommended replacing it. I've got 15K to do so I can't take any chances. It would be a disaster to lose a belt in Canada somewhere. If you're interested I can scan the page in the Harley manual and send it to you.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Go try sticking a magnet to your pulley. No mater way I put my magnet it fell off |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Good reason for that John since hard chrome isn't magnetic! I'm wondering why you're fighting this so hard. Its there John and no amount of denial is going to make it go away. Give it up :-)
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| NO BIKE COMES WITH A STEEL PULLEY
you wanted help and tried to give it to you. Coast wise aluminum pulley is cheaper and why would they chrome a pulley when it will cut up your belt.
Spend your money and find out. Don't you think polished aluminum shines like chrome |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Nobody ever said the pulley is steel. Its obviously aluminum. Look John, I think we had better stop this. It isn't accomplishing anything and obviously upsetting you which is the last thing I'm interested in doing. Lets just forget it.
Marc |
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Puddle Jumper
Posts: 49
Madison/Huntsville, AL | Sounds like a chrome pulley to me; aluminum so it be.
Whether it needs to be replaced is a judgment call as to whether the chip edges are eating the belt. Don't think you'd be posting if it were.
A riding buddy has a paint matched pulley on his Vision. It was an early model nicety I think. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| I just heard from Kevinx and he suggests replacing at least the rear pulley and belt. The front pulley is something like $90 so I think I'll replace that as well. The parts are about $600 so another $90 isn't going to make much difference and then I know it's done per the book. I wonder if there's a way to get the sprocket cover off without removing the mufflers. I hate doing that! Anybody ever do this job?
Marc |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 752
Broken Arrow, OK | Not personally, but I don't believe there's a shortcut for that part. This would be a good job to photo shoot your steps for a tech reference piece!! |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Amazing_Pulley_Repair_Tech.aspx |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 802
| Arkainzeye - 2014-07-03 6:45 AM
http://www.bikernet.com/pages/Amazing_Pulley_Repair_Tech.aspx Thanks for the link. I just called them. What a nice woman who obviously runs the show. She can fix the Vision pulley but due that the belt is so narrow (28 mm) she will charge extra. Its very expensive, $625 plus shipping. A new pulley is $317. Since I got a good 45K out of this one it makes sense to just replace it with another new one. Actually you could buy two new ones for the cost of the repair. I would imagine that if you had a custom sprocket that you spent a ton of dough on then repairing it would be a good option besides the fact that she says they last a lifetime. BTW, she asked me if the chrome was chipping off and I told her that it was. In her experience once that starts it doesn't take long until the worn sprocket starts eating the belt. That made me feel better about renewing the parts at this time.
Marc |
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Visionary
Posts: 4278
| Gee are belts are as wide as the early h-d's |
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Visionary
Posts: 3773
Pittsburgh, PA | marcparnes i don't blame you one second.. i wouldn't get that done either.. i had NO idea it was that expensive.. WOW... its a no brainer.. get a replacement unit... plus should be a quicker turn around time for getting you back on the road.... |
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Pulley Question