[steve6]

I was just wondering, i've had a 95 xlt for 4 years now and have never changed it, lol

I had a clutch issue 2 weeks ago and smoked it a bit, figured I should probably change it now....

 

[steve6]

!

 

[archibald]

i usually change mine when it gets worn down a bit in the clutch. usually once a year. i couldnt imagine having the same belt on for 4 years ahah it must have been worn down quite abit.

Justin

 

[steve6]

well, I put on about 800-1000 miles a year, I put on 200 today easy..... the belt looks warn but by no means ready to come apart.

 

[paul yarek]

i usually go to the minimum thinkness, which is once a year.

 

[tic]

I just replaced both ours.... Since I bought the sleds used, I had no idea how they were treated.. The wife's MXZ550Fan had belt residue on the cover and it was pretty deep in the pulley.. Mine looked better but it still was 1/8" below the pully and it's suppossed to sit 1/8" above it.... Her belt cost $48.00, mine for the Formula 3 700 cost $78.00.. OEM... I understand the new sleds cost even more for belts.. $140.00!!!!!.. Her belt had been installed with the rotation arrows going the wrong way... Odd because I just paid good money to have a shop go over the sleds... Why didn't they see this? maybe THEY installed it backwards?.. not going back there..

 

[Pepsi_fuzz]

I didn't realize belts could only turn one way? I've never replaced a belt, but as this one is starting to sit flush with the secondary clutch, I think it's finally time to replace it. Not bad, got 1,756 miles out of it on an '05 Fusion 900. Considering everyone still tells me a belt on a Liberty 900 typically lasts 400-700 miles, I've gotten over double that. But if the skis are stuck on anything, I don't give it more gas, I free the skis up. I saw a Bombardier today try to back up in a parking lot and his carbides stuck in the pavement, so he gave it full throttle until it moved. Well, that's gotta be hard on the belt. I'll give burps of gas, and if the sled doesn't move (it takes very little gas to get it to move) then I know something's stuck. Aside from that, I do treat it hard. 0-90mph is my thing (I'm talking trailway riding). If you ride your 440 easily, the belt should last 4,000 miles no problem, however I've seen a 340 do this and the belt literally started to rot before it wore out. All it took was one good nip of the throttle and it probably could have done some serious damage to it.

If it sits good, and looks good, then it doesn't need to be replaced, lol. If it rides rough (belt slipping/worn spot in belt) or sits low on the secondary, replace it. Ideally, for safety sake, I should have replaced my belt at 1,500 miles. I'm experiencing belt slippage now, though it still takes off well if I nip the throttle. When I replace the belt, I'll measure it with the new one. It is visibly and noticeably smaller than the spare that I have.

 

[tic]

On the OEM ski-doo belts I bought there is an arrow for direction of rotation... Also in the shop manual it tells you to observe the direction of rotation for maximum belt life.. I don't really know if it makes a difference or not... the 550F was running fine w/ the belt on backwards.

 

[MaxiCat]

I heard or read somwhere that the arrow is that so that you get the belt on the same way every time .. the Idea was that the two pulley sides are not identical , keeping the belt on the "same"way should give a little better life and a little better grip ..... Believe it or not....

I change mine about every thousand miles ...

 

[qwerty]

when im bootin across the lake and i can hear it startin to flap. not a second before.

 

[FreezerBurnt]

I change em once a season

Had a Kimpex belt last year for a bit,it was on the sled when I bought

then ran a Good Year Powerstreak 2000klicks

Just bought a Dayco HPX Ultimax last weekend and compared with the Good Year and not much wear on the Good Year

 

[63November]

It depends entirely on the machine. I run the belt with the characters reading correctly from the side so I know they're always run the same way. Other than that, as long as it doesn't overheat or get overworked due to too heavy a load, they can last quite long: 5000 miles or so. I change them when the engine begins to run outside it's power range or if the belt slips due to hardening and glazing. Some belts on some machines barely make 1000 if they get a hard, cold start. It pays to really warm up a cold engine - that seems also to warm the belt. I also think the way a brand new belt is treated in the first miles is important.

 

[sl1pl1kespac3]

just replaced mine about a week ago. i noticed a slapping noise and checked the belt and half the teeth on it were missing..... im suprised i made it home!

 

[vapourtrail]

when i start to lose top end and the belt gets tha glazed over look on the sides.........about every 2 years.

 

[MXZOOoom]

Tape measure it, after it wears out 2 mm I change it. On my beater (340 ET)I let it ride till it wont go no more he he

 

[JRBBQ]

gwerty (when im bootin across the lake and i can hear it startin to flap. not a second before).

this is what i doo also. unless i don't hear it, then i'm picking up pieces from all over.

as i get older i don't seem to go through as many belts. used to go through one every 500 miles, now maybe one a year. every 2000 miles now if i watch it.depends where i'm riding also. fraserdale (abitibi canyon) likes to eat up a belt or two.

dahmer

 

[Icerider]

I use them till the break or sound really bad. On a side note can you cause any damage using a belt that is wearing out?

 

[FreezerBurnt]

if it blows

you can get belt piece through your crank seal

and I have seen some mangled belly pans also

 

[AKRMK]

I routinely get 1,000 miles + out of a good belt. I think a major wear problem is in riding style. The guys who engage the clutch slowly and ease into it will wear belts way faster than me. I usually give the throttle a bump to get the RPM's starting up and then quickly get the clutch to engage. I'm not going from 0 to WOT every time, but try to engage the clutch and get the machine moving quickly, just short of spinning the track most of the time.

The trick is, you want good clutch alignment and quick engagement. The more time the clutch is spinning while in contact with a stopped belt, the faster the belt wears.

 

[Sparky8370]

Last year I bought a used zx chassis sled. I towed my uncles Polaris' 3 times. To the point where I have a v shape in my bumper/grab bar. When I went to move my sled on the dirt this fall, it was engaging a lot higher. I know a lot of this was probably because of being on the dirt, and possibly in part due to the junk jimmy rigged clutch that was in the sled. I didn't want to risk anything, so I bought two new belts for it. My buddy, who has a Polaris xc800, blew a belt and put a hole in his belly pan. Now that I have a rev that I can adjust the secondary on, I'll probably change it when I'm out of adjustment or if it starts looking bad beforehand.