"Karl Townsend" wrote in message
anews.com...
...
should I change the flat belt to a ribbed belt - it wouldn't be hard to
put the pulleys on my lathe and turn grooves in them to match a grooved
pulley, but if I did that there would be no going back to the old flat
belt - and I would loose a safety factor

Second Q - would a new flat belt make any difference?


I wouldn't change the design. Flat belts with all good components are
reliable. You might want the double check that your flat belt pulleys are
crowned, or that the crown hasn't wore off. This is what keeps the flat
belt from tracking off.

Karl


I kinda like it when a belt slips instead of a gear loosing its teeth or
something breaking. I would assume that the drive components are reasonably
matched for strength and would hesitate to increase the belt capacity. A new
belt can certainly help if the old one is glazed or oil-soaked.

Don Young