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e-Align T-REX 250-450-500-600 > T-REX 450 V2 Thread coming from belt, Belt is damaged.
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Quote 
Align is not known for their good quality control. Some belts are good, some are bad. No amount of maintenance or lubing will stop a bad belt from breaking on you.
I agree it is possible to have a problem with belt quality or other mechanical problems that we would have a hard time identifying over the Internet. But, I don't think Align has a quality control problem with their belts in general. There may be a bad belts here and there but when someone is having a problem with belts fraying and breaking they usually have rapid repeated occurrences of the condition.

In most of the post about belts fraying an breaking folks put on more then one or two belts in a row and they all break and or fray.

I shredded and snapped several belts in a row a few years ago when I first got a Trex. I have seen many other do the same thing. I tried several things that didn't work and ultimately took the shot gun approach with several more things at once. When I finally lubed the next one, changed from plastic to metal uH belt pulleys, put on an MX-400 idler pulley, bent the boom for tracking, the problem went away. Since then I have removed the idler pulley, don't adjust tracking by bending the boom anymore, and have run with various tensions and partially wrecked conditions and they don't make a difference.

When belts break they don't usually just snap while on track. They ride up on the pulley flange, stretch and snap and or rub on the tail case and fray first. This is the problem the OP has had so I don't think Aligns quality control is an issue in this case. I my experience belts don fray unless they are riding on something. Usually they are riding up the pulley flange and rubbing on the tail case or smashed between the flange and the idler pulley if you have one. Silicone lube will keep the belt from grabbing and riding up the pulley flange and fraying or snapping.

Also, with silicone on the belt pulley alignment will not be enough to cause a problem. That is why I mentioned flying with a bent and dented boom not causing a problem.
09-09-2008 02:54 PM
 
 
airsoft1779
Heliman
Location: Greenville,SC-USA

silicone lube? WD40? what lube do i need.

Trex 450 V2, Scorpion HK2221-6 on 11t, CC ph. 45, G770 3D w/ 9257, 65MGS.
09-09-2008 03:22 PM
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Some claim success with WD-40. WD-40 is petroleum oil with a lot of solvent. It is mostly solvent. Also, oil usually works best on metal. Silicon lube is for plastic and rubber.

Use Silicone spray lube. Some think food grade is the best. I use any silicone lube you get at automotive supply, Walmart, etc. Currently I have Dupont Silicone with Teflon. Also, silicone leaves less residue for dirt to stick to.
09-09-2008 04:28 PM
 
 
SSN Pru
Elite Veteran
Location: Massachusetts

I spray a silicone spray into a metal canister and let the solvents dissolve. I then use a Q-tip to apply the left over silicon lube to the belt while slowly rotating the tail rotor.

Also, petroleum based lubes will attack a rubber based product.

If you avoid failure, you also avoid success.
09-09-2008 04:56 PM
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Good idea, I can see how that would work.

While true in theory that some solvents attack some rubbers and plastics I think you will be hard pressed to find a silicone spray lube that does attack these belts. I have let one sit in silicone spray in a Ziploc bag and one in a bucket of mineral spirits for days and not seen any deterioration, noticeable change in texture, or swelling. It didn't hurt the bag either. The solvents work well to disperse the lubrication where it needs to be and they are made for rubber and plastic so they use solvents that don't harm most rubbers and plastics.

If you are worried about it you could also get a food grade silicone lube. They don't have the petroleum solvents you are worried about. I know a lot of folks recommend that.
09-09-2008 05:16 PM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

After going through several Align belts, I finally bought the Mavrikk belt.

I had less than 50 flights, and the Mavrikk broke too earlier today (at least with the Align belts, I got over 100 before breaking). The Mavrikk belts never even gave any indication before coming apart (no fraying, no missing teeth, etc.)

my belt tension is not high, neither is my headspeed (at around 2700). i inspected the belt, it tore clean in one spot, there was no fraying, no rubbing mark.

is there any better/stronger belt than the Mavrikk belts?

cheers, khan
09-22-2008 01:39 AM
 
 
kingair
Key Veteran
Location: Utah - USA

Your problem is not the belt, no way, no how! Something else it wrong causing damage to the belt.

There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
09-22-2008 02:44 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

wrathofkhan,

What pulleys do you have (plastic or metal)?

Do you still have the idler pulley on the tail?

Do you lubricate the belt?

T-Rex 450 SE V1, 430L 13t, Align 35A ESC, 325 Pro, K&B, JR 6102DX6, GY401, 9650, HS-65MG'S.
09-22-2008 03:18 AM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

to answer your question:

- i have metal pulley
- the idler pulley has been removed
- i lubricate with white lethium grease

i did the same with the align belts

khan
09-22-2008 03:59 AM
 
 
TomRex
Elite Veteran
Location: West Palm Beach Fl.

grease and rubber/plastic/nylon don't get along

The AMA is way better than what you belong to!
09-28-2008 07:41 AM
HOMEPAGE  
 
 
bah7566
Senior Heliman
Location: Colorado

My own experience is WD-40 will eat the stock Align belt fairly quickly and you will end up with a failure. Make sure your belt does not have more than a 90* twist or the edges of the belt will shred simply from rubbing on itself inside the tail boom. You will go crazy trying to find out what is fraying your belt when it's actually the belt itself causing the problem. Not to mention it will create excessive drag on the drive system.

My 2 Cents


WOW, Did I do that? Hmmmmm
09-28-2008 03:04 PM
 
 
JFERA22
Heliman
Location: MONTEREY,CA

Align stock belt

Absolute jumk sometimes you will get one that might last a few flights but for the most part they are junk!!! and it does not matter what tentsion you run them at the last one lasted three flights and it was not over tightend or miss aligned!! after removing the Ideler pully the next one seemed to last a little bit longer but not much I switched over to the Maverik like a lot of the other guys no more problems been running the same belt for dozens and dozens of flights with no yellow strings appearing from the sides and getting stuck in the tail drive!!1 Align if your reading you guys need to adress this issue.

VOOOLAAAREEE~~~ way up in the sky!!
09-28-2008 08:28 PM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

None of my belts had any evidence of shredding, they just gave.

but i think i found out what was causing them to break (even the Mavrikk).

there was a bit of play on my tail, so last week i took it apart. i noticed that the metal gear on the tail shaft is held down with tiny set screw. that was loose - i am guessing because of that play, it could have put the belts in undue stress, which could have been the reason.

i don't think any part of the set screw was protruding (as far as i can recall). if it was protruding, that can also chew up the belts real fast.

khan
09-28-2008 11:12 PM
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Quote 
Align stock belt

Absolute junk sometimes you will get one that might last a few flights but for the most part they are junk!!! and it does not matter what tension you run them at the last one lasted three flights and it was not over tightened or miss aligned!! after removing the Ideler pully the next one seemed to last a little bit longer but not much I switched over to the Maverik like a lot of the other guys no more problems been running the same belt for dozens and dozens of flights with no yellow strings appearing from the sides and getting stuck in the tail drive!!1 Align if your reading you guys need to address this issue.

Complete non issue for me with many Align belts. After working out initial problems almost 3 years ago never had any more problems with several belts over several years. Changed belts only after crashes. More then 100 flights on each belt.

You didn't say. Were you lubricating the belt with silicone and did you remove the idler pulley?

T-Rex 450 SE V1, 430L 13t, Align 35A ESC, 325 Pro, K&B, JR 6102DX6, GY401, 9650, HS-65MG'S.
09-29-2008 03:00 AM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

i did remove the idler pulley gary jp4

and i use white lithium for lubrication, maybe once a week(i fly about 15-20 times a week)

cheers, khan
09-29-2008 03:05 AM
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

Why grease? Silicone is the lubrication you should use for any rubber or plastic. Not Lithium grease. Where did you come up with that idea?

T-Rex 450 SE V1, 430L 13t, Align 35A ESC, 325 Pro, K&B, JR 6102DX6, GY401, 9650, HS-65MG'S.
09-29-2008 03:16 AM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

lithium grease

i saw f-i-n-l-e-s-s' video, and he put the lithium grease on the head (his video about how to build a Swift). which has rubber dampner, and that is what he had recommended.

anyhow, lithium grease has no petroleum. i have quite a bit of lithium grease, that is why i was using it. i am open to other suggestions, but from what i understood from the video - lithium grease doesn't attach rubber/belt

cheers, khan
09-29-2008 04:31 AM
 
 
gary jp4
Senior Heliman
Location: Nashville, TN, USA

It is not a matter of weather it attacks the rubber or not. It is a matter of weather it lubricates well enough to keep the belt from trying to ride up the flange of the pulleys and doesn't attract dirt in the process. Head dampers and belts are a totally different application and your lubricaton goals are quite a bit different.

Don't use grease. Use silicone spray lubricant.

T-Rex 450 SE V1, 430L 13t, Align 35A ESC, 325 Pro, K&B, JR 6102DX6, GY401, 9650, HS-65MG'S.
10-01-2008 12:39 PM
 
 
wrathofkhan
Veteran
Location: LA, CA - US

OK, you guys convinced me - i will at least try the silicon spray lubricant.

where can i buy it, what is the name of the brand, and how do i apply

look forward to enlightenment

khan
10-01-2008 07:59 PM
 
 
born2rc
Senior Heliman
Location: Rolla, Missouri

Would this work?

1. Silicone spray - food grade:

here is a link


2. i couldn't find the Teflon type of Silicone spray on e-b-a-y


How to apply it? Do i just spray it on through the openings at the tail (wouldn't that be messy)?

Bob
10-01-2008 10:59 PM
 
 
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e-Align T-REX 250-450-500-600 > T-REX 450 V2 Thread coming from belt, Belt is damaged.
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