Washing and condition drive belt eliminated all squeaking!

[Wmoater]

I had my front sprocket removed, splines on shaft scrubbed and cogs on sprockets cleaned for the recall. They used an altasonic vibrator to really clean the sprocket after the toothbrush cleaning. ( I believe this super clean caused the problem I got because it was tooooo clean) Shaft was tested with new sprocket to make sure splines were good. Old sprocket was reinstalled with new bolt. Within days, I started getting a loud squeak and whining from sprocket area. I was in a really bad rain storm about a week later and it really started squealing and chirping super loud. After the torrential rain storm everything dried out and very little squeaking. About a month later it came back. Last week it sounded like a bad alternator pulley on a car. It was louder than the radio turned up full blast. So Thursday I jacked her up, removed the belt from front sprocket. Turned on and ran without belt. No noise. No oil from bearing seal so has to be belt. Put belt on ran in air and sure enough squeaking super loud. Now, my belt has not had the best life. I live 2.5 miles on gravel road to closest tar chip road. I live in the snow belt area and roads get the acid spray salt and I do ride early spring when roads wash off and dry out but there’s still salt lines till May so belt has been beat up for sure. So after all my racing experience I decided to take the huge task of removing the belt totally. Put belt in my washtub with soap. Cleaned it really good. Then scrubbed with belt conditioner. Dried it completely and put inside a 6 inch pipe. Blew warm air into pipe for 6 hours to dry any conditioner so it’s not sticky. I don’t want any dust or dust sticking because of the dirt road or I’ll have a huge mess. Wiped completely down and reassembled. Ran it in air and not a squeak. Took out on road and not a squeak. It’s quieter than brand new! So washing the belt like I do each year with the snowmobiles works great. This probably doesn’t apply to many of you since most never touch dirt road or run in salt but thought I’d pass it on. I could have simply sprayed it but then there would be no way getting rid of the stickiness. The dab of grease on the edge again would have created sticky mess. Could have tried soap on sides but that’s very temporary. Pure cleaning solved it.

 

[PMK]

As you no doubt are aware, there is a Can Am TSB regarding belt squeaking. In your case though, the use on dirt roads would, as you mentioned, cause more issues with dirt accumulation.

Sounds as if the task was not difficult, but did take time. Pretty certain the majority of folks would use the dab of lube they recommend in the TSB.

 

[Mikey]

Your belt alignment is good, right? The reason I ask is that will make it squeal!!!

 

[Wmoater]

Yes alignment is good. No vibrations either. The squeaking wasn’t even that pulsating type like there was one bad spot on the sprocket, it was just a constant squeak. Every time I stop it about 1/8 from inside. I know it moves but at rest seems to be same spot each time. Never seems to move after each ride. I had everything laser checked in the spring at the Ohio rally after I hit that deer a year ago. So both tires and sprocket seem good. I’m sure it was the belt. I found no pin holes, chips or lace. It has 43k now and never had a stone chip lodged in so that’s pretty good. It was glazed on the bottom for sure but again I think the super clean sprocket caused that and at a couple places on the sides. Ran it today for about 170 miles chasing the leaves towards potter county. Even going down hill and totally releasing the throttle, I couldn’t get it to even squeak which on many spyders it does when tension of belt goes limp to tight and vise versa instantly. I tried everything even running in 6th at slow speeds to bog down and nothing. It’s fixed. PMK yes I read the TSB but any stickiness on the belt would just gunk up I feel with the dirt roads. I agree with your statement. And I agree most if not all this doesn’t apply. The main thing I learned from an old timer is after cleaning, wash in conditioner and then place in a plastic pipe to evaporate any excess not soaked in. That’s the trick or it would have been super sticky even if it was dried.