Eagles International Forum

Anyone ever use Kevlar belts on the fan drive of a Eagle (the 2 long belts) ?

I'm doing it now. I'll let you know how it works out.

I'll ask the dumb question. What is a "Kevlar Belts" Is it a brand name?

Kevlar belts are a type of belt.

Most V-Belts have polyester tensile members and they do fine for almost every application. Some belt vendors have a line of Kevlar belts. The Kevlar is stronger and does not stretch. However the stretch of the polyester belts allow 2 or more V-Belts to work together a bit better (self-matching). Also, Kevlar belts still need re-tensioning since the belts, and to a lesser degree, pulleys wear slightly.

If you can find Kevlar belts in the size you need for the fan drive, they will probably be pretty expensive.

I went with standard polyester construction.

Jim

Still haven't used the Kevlar Belts I purchased. Just re-strung the existing belts that "looked good". Bad move.....ended up on the side of the road after they flipped off in 90 degree weather. Have to go back where its parked on Monday and put the Kevlars on, and hope for the best. See my new post/help request on the Forum.

I installed a set of Kevlar belts about a year ago on Dennis's model 10 he says they are doing good the price was cheaper than regular belts I paid 25 bucks each from Tractor Supply for the 2 long belts

I just drove 250 miles on 89 x 5/8" Kevlar belts, purchased at Family Farm and Fleet for $26.00 per. They can also be purchased at TSC. Just so you know....they are likely Mower Belts. Mower belts are designed for a couple of thousand hours on a mower, and are under an incredible amount of stress throughout their lifetime. I chose these, because when you are in immediate need....you don't have time to jicky-jack around with "ordering". These belts are readily available. Now, you should read and consider the statements that Jim Shepard has made on this subject.....because he has had a lifetime of belts........but I believe this to be another option that certainly will help you in a pinch, or maybe for a permanant solution. I'll let you know how they last, and I also purchased spares.........but so far, they are golden. They sit great on the pulley's, stretch tight, and certainly give the impression of consistency. Kevlar seems a good alternative from "classic" belts.............if only from the technological aspect.
Now go and drive that bus!

As you probably saw, I bumped up a couple of old threads on Eagle belts to the top. In one, it lists an old Gates part number, and that belt would be 11/16 by 89 1/4 inches.

I am pretty sure that the industrial belt that will work on the fan drive is a B86 or BX86. If you go that route, the BX86 belt is a much better construction.

Does anyone have the part number for the Kevlar belts from Family Farm and Fleet or TSC?

In every belt thread I participate in, I always warn about worn sheave/pulley grooves. That area gets a lot of dust and dirt. The easiest way to check for really bad wear is to look at the bottom of the groove. If it is polished, the sheaves are worn out.

Jim

Update: Kevlar belts I put on 3 years ago still doing well. I did have to re-tighten a bit this year, and I plan on replacing them in the spring, but so far so good. Look to my earlier posts for the size, but looking good at this point. FYI

Jim, thanks for the update. Kevlar belts would not be my first choice since they do not stretch. Some stretch is good for two reasons. First of all, it lets the belts adjust a bit so they run as a matched set. Secondly, the stretch that we put in the belt when we tension it, is what keeps the belt tension at a reasonable level for a longer period of time.

The kevlar belts that many folks sell are aimed at agricultural type equipment. That kind of equipment often has spring loaded idlers and that keeps the tension where it should be.

All that said, many folks report good results with kevlar belts.

Jim