Air Compr Multi-rib Drive Belt Mfr? 1

[RossABQ]

I have a cheap Home Depot-style air compressor with one of those annoyingly loud oilless compressors. It is driven by what appears to be a shop vac motor and a multi-rib belt. I am completely stymied finding a replacement belt; the only part they appear to sell is a complete replacement compressor for $200 (the whole unit cost $300).

The belt is a 7-rib, 3/4"-wide x 15.75" long piece, marked "Made In France" and "2_210". (that would be a 20 x 400 mm in metric)

Websearches have pulled up nothing; Grainger, NAPA, etc are no help. Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

 

[SincoTC]

Have you tried searching for Poly-Vee, trying all variations of spelling without the "ee", spacing and hyphens. The 7 rib type is pretty common on washers and dryers but they'd be wau too long.

Good Luck

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756

 

[btrueblood]

have you looked in

http://www.gates.com

 

[RossABQ]

Yes, I checked Gates first off. Had the local distributor look too, no luck. Got some hits off the Poly-Vee search, thanks!

 

[SincoTC]

IF you still can't find the correct replacement belt, it would probably work out cheaper to buy two new pulleys and a toothed "timing" type drive belt. These are available from the likes of Gates and many other suppliers. Provided the shaft sizez are a standard metric or imperial size, you should be able to get near enough the correct ratio and still fit inside any guarding.

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756

 

[RossABQ]

I wish I could do that! The pulley on the motor shaft is only about 1/2"-dia., and is either integral to the shaft or shrunk on.

To be honest, since the oil-less compressor is extremely light duty, I am thinking of tossing it and putting a single-cylinder lubricated pump on it. But that's not cheap. I think it is criminal that the mfr. doesn't offer such an obvious wear part as a spare, it would only be about $5.

 

[vims]

http://www.optibelt.com/engl/index.html

 

[diskullman]

Look up Jason Industrial on internet, find one of their distributors. The beltyou seek is cut from a mandrel, at least 12 ribs wide, and are cut to width, just like bolagna atthe deli. The numbering system is simple , outside length of the belt, pitch, then number of ribs. I assume you may be able to use a 16" outside length belt, part # 160J7. This belt is 16" outside length, J pitch or 3/32" per rib, 7 ribs . Also, If it is 3/4", I assume you have 8 ribs, odd number is very uncommon. If you buy an 8 rib and it is not correct, you can alsway slit off 1 rib with a razor knife. That part # would be 160J8. Jason calls them Multi Rib V Belts. All manufacturer's make them, but Jason may be more accomodating cutting to size. Price is about a dollar per rib. Double check your length

Russell Giuliano

 

[RossABQ]

Very good lead, Russell! I don't believe there is any c-c adjustment on this unit but will look at it again. Thanks!

 

[diskullman]

There are other companies out there that may have some of the in-between sizes, Jason mya have them, but not listed in catalog. Sometimes it's a matter of going through each belt manufacturer's catalog and giving them a call. This is the job of your local Power Transmission distributor. The problem is that there are not many PT distibutors left, as industry has left the US. There are either very large distributors with huge corporate accounts, that are too busy to look for your belt, because they probably won't make a dollar on it, small niche distributors that you can't even find, or catalog houses like McMaster or Grainger. If you go the catalog way, you better know exactly what you want.
You may have to look at other belting companies catalogs yourself, you could try:
Jason Industries
Bando
MBL
Gates Carlisle (Dayco)
Goodyear
Optibelt
Speed Control (importer, has lots of in-between sizes
Ametric

This knowledge comes to you from a product specialist of a former local PT distributor. This information is proven to be both priceless and worthless at the same time. Knowing this and having a dime is worth exactly $.10.

I am now on my way to becoming a product specialist in high temperature insulation, which will probably be as extinct as my old career in PT, but I hope to make it last to retirement

Russell Giuliano

 

[RossABQ]

Thanks for the info, it is worth a lot more than $.10 to me! You know what irritates me the most about this, is that it appears that the compressor is not made in China, as I immediately assumed, but in Ohio! I've advocated Buy American for years, partly because of perceived better product support. So much for that theory...

Yeah, I feel your pain. I had to make a similar change in careers about 15 yrs ago. In hindsight, better then than now! (I have <<hopefully>> another 5 yrs to go)

Good luck with insulation, you might try to get a toe in the door of cryo insulation too, it seems to be an up market.