Drive Belt service limit measurement

I've taken of the side covers and variator to replace the rollers with Dr.Pulley sliders on my 2009 Silver Wing.

While there I checked the belt width was within the service limit, it measured 26.5mm in various spots. On checking the Service Manual it says the limit is 27mm, meaning I needed a new belt. After only 2000 miles I was to say the least I was surprised I put it down to hard city driving and headed off to the Honda dealer for a replacement.

The new belt didn't look any different and I asked the chap if he could measure it. He came back with 26mm! Then I asked him to check the service limit, he asked another chap who came back with 27mm! They offered no reason but assured me that my belt would be fine.

It looked like a genuine Honda belt, I was in the main dealers shop in Chiswick. Got no reason to believe it wasnt anything but a genuine Honda belt.

I am now wondering what is the real service limit?

Anybody else got a width measurement for a new belt?

hi RArch
the 27mm is when you measure following the side angles of the belt which is guess work unless you have someone to hold rulers up each side of the belt at the correct angle while you measure across the top of the belt like the manual picture page 10-7 my belt measures 26mm across the belt below the cog teeth looking at the manual 10-7 picture it looks like the service limit is 25mm across the belt below the cog teeth or 16000 miles hope this helps
jodders1

Ahh yes I see what you mean Thanks jodders.

It makes sense now that I've looked at the diagram again. At least I'm not the only one who got caught out, the Honda guys were scratching their head too

I've attached a photo of the diagram with some notes explaining the measurements. Hopefully it will help others.

shame on chiswick honda dealership an apology required not to have anybody to explain and measure you belt for you hope you did not buy a new belt as you clearly did not need one with the measurements you have showed and with only 2000 miles on it if you did buy one take it back and ask for a refund and make a complaint to managment as they have give you incorrect information on a sale if no joy take your complaint to honda uk

RArch wrote:

While there I checked the belt width was within the service limit, it measured 26.5mm in various spots. On checking the Service Manual it says the limit is 27mm, meaning I needed a new belt.

Honda conveniently screwed up the Service Manual belt service limit .... even a brand new unused belt would not pass the documented limit. Yet they never seemed to update the Service Manual.

I will try to find the "updated' numbers they provided to the Honda dealers.

I have just come up to16000mls and the "V" light came on. The Honda Dealer wants £131.40 for a new belt. I found www.wemoto.com. Selling the belt for £74 including V.A.T. and P&P. They accept all currencies and post worldwide.I paid by Paypal late last night and have got an Email saying they posted it today. I can't vouch for the quality of course, but I'm willing to give it a go.

My experience with the drive belts for now near 250,000 miles AND I hate walking---I change at maker's suggested time/miles. I do not bother to measure, just change and ONLY OEM belt----I do not monkey with or change clutches(want more performance I buy a motorcycle) As I ride a lot the age of belt never is factor with. Keep/carry old belt as spare.

Only one belt broke underway, Helix, Pulaski VA. Belt was at service limit (miles) Honda Service took me to friend's house where we changed belt with spare I carried---Helix great as belt change simple, having to take nothing off but belt cover. Actually belt had shredded itself.

Bigbird: I cant speak inches, it does not comput Can someone convert it into mm for me? My belt measured 26.5mm with a digital verniers at the widest part, whats that in inches and thousands? The verniers has a mm/inch button which shows 26.5 to be 1.0435!

Jodders: I never bought the belt, they measured it the same way I did and mine was .5mm wider than the new one!

Limey: Thats the same cost that I was quoted, it will be interesting to hear the differences in size of the wemoto belt.

John: You speak a lot sense but some of us just like fiddling and tweaking

I just got caught by this trap too. While installing Dr Pulley sliders, I measured the belt with a micrometer, it measured 27mm. The service manual gives that as the service limit, so I ordered a new belt at over $100. I received it today, measured it and it also measures 27mm. I did not need a new belt that out of the box measures the service limit size.

I also ordered a new cylinder to hold the seat and the new one will not even raise the seat. Honda's quality control does not seem to be good.

Is there any way to contact Honda about the belt width discrepencies?

bigbird wrote:

RArch wrote:

Bigbird: I cant speak inches, it does not comput Can someone convert it into mm for me? My belt measured 26.5mm with a digital verniers at the widest part, whats that in inches and thousands?

C'mon, man.
You can't even do a Google search to find a
mm--->inch conversion site?

http://www.metric-conversions.org/length/millimeters-to-inches.htm

Cheers for the help!

So if I've got it right, the new belt from the video "one inch thirty two thou" is 1.032" or 26.21mm and the old belt "one inch 15 thou" is 1.015 or 25.78mm. This is measuring the widest part of the belt and not using the method described in the service manual where we estimate that 25mm (0.984") is the limit.

The bottom line is the width of the belt from new to needing changing is only 1-1.5mm (I can visualise millimetres ) It doesn't seem like a lot... but still they can last 16000 miles

LarryB: You should be able to return the belt for a refund. As for the cylinder (ram) that too should be replaced for free.

All of us have measured it the same way and come up with varying widths (27, 26.5, 26.21mm). We must be measuring a soft edge where Honda in service manual diagram using the flat plates are measuring the harder wearing surfaces of the belt.

RArch:

You are correct on the measurements of the belt. It can't be measured correctly across the belt without taking in account honda's method. Your picture is right. My new belt measures 29mm by Honda's method and 27mm measuring across the belt's widest point. So, this would make the Service Limit measure 2mm less, or 25mm. I made a note of this in my service manual so whoever ends up someday with this manual will not have this problem. Anyway, I now have a good spare belt.

Also, I measured the thickness of the new belt and it was .575 inches. My old belt, with 5500 miles, measures .560 inches. I went on and changed it anyway, and noticed the new belt rides higher in the pulleys. As soon as the snow melts, I'll road test it.

Thanks for the advice.

Thanks for the confirmation Larry.

This is a useful site for conversions:

http://www.campbellsci.ca/CampbellScientific/Conversions.html