2005 ultra,,drive belt seems loose,,manual says to remove rt muffler, does both need to come off ??looks to me like they do. I have a center stand , should I get the rear off the ground ? does anybody know the size of the nut so I can make sure I have it before I begin? got well over 1/2" play cold, mabe that is where my vibration is coming from.
does not look to be that big of a job ,, or is it??
thanks mike

 

Mike, there are many threads addressing belt tension. I'd suggest reading some plus getting the factory manual and a belt tension gauge. You'll also need a beefy torque wrench. The threads will provide very useful diy tips, especially for tightening the axel after you get the tension. (Do 05s have the same cams as my 09?) I don't know about 05s, but 1/2" sounds loose to me.

 

got the manual,, does not say the size of the nut, have read the threads, just curious as to leave it on the ground or off the ground. and yes I have the adj. cams on the axle, not the adj. bolts. oh well ill just get r done I guess.
thanks mike

 

I think it is 36mm, don't quot me.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/3910252...lpid=82&chn=ps Get a pair of these and you wont need to pull the mufflers. 36mm

 

It is indeed 36mm. My modest experience, having personally torqued that darned great nut myself, is that when I next came to undo it I had to put some serious effort into cracking it, with the correct (giant!) socket. So if you also find you need to do the same then you will have to remove the muffler closest to the nut. You will only need to remove the other muffler if and when you want to remove the axle. My torque wrench is much longer than a 36mm wrench and I for one am not confident of having the leverage to undo that nut with one, although it will be fine once started.

 

If you don't have a belt gage get one and learn how to use it. The bike needs to be resting upright both wheels on the ground, preferably with driver weight on the seat. The allowable deflection is probably 3/8-7/16. If it's not in that range then you can go thru the work to adjust it. Or you can just go to the dealer or indie shop and have them do it. I doubt a loose belt would cause vibration though.

 

the reason the manual says to remove muffler is for access to the axle, there is a 36 mm wrench available which can slip up there and make adjustment easy- but you still need a 36 mm socket to torque--- sears has them for about $10.
That's all you need if you pull the muffler


specs for the belt have changed over the years- my evos I ran about 5/8" deflection with about 10 pounds tension applied at the midpoint...I didn;t buy the gauge I use my fingers*- on my 09 the tension is much tighter- I think about 7/16--- but check your own manual.
incorrect tension can indeed cause some vibrations esp on slowing


to loosen I use a socket and a breaker bar- careful applying big torque if the bike is balancing on a jack/lift- I do this with teh bike on the ground
The axle nut only needs to be loosened so that the cam adjusters have free movement- I make a mark with a grease pencil before starting so I can see how much I have moved it

do this a few times and you get a feel for how the adjusters affect the tension.

to tighten I use a large click type torque wrench.


if you don;t have a torque wrench and the torque spec is 125 ft pounds for example...using a 1 foot long wrench...have someone who weighs about 125 stand on the wrench 12" out from the nut...that applies 125 pounds of force...1 foot from the centerline of the bolt.
careful that the cam adjusters don't shift

all of this is not as slick as a ride on lift with a drop tail section etc etc...but it works for me.

mike

*I play guitar and 10 pounds tension is about the force needed to bend a C note on the G string up to a D.

 

oh well it will have to wait,, don't have a big enough socket or wrench
thanks for the replies
mike

 

As weight is placed on the bike it will change tension.
I have seen more than 1 bike with a broken belt because someone thought tighter was better.
The problem came when they mounted a passenger on a bike with an already tight belt and hit a bump...snap.