Hotpoint w/mch belt comes off

[rick]

Recently changed drum on a Hotpoint WMUD962 Been working fine for 2 weeks ... then belt came off.

Belt is not adjustable .... and motor position also not adjustable (fixed by drum mounts) Hence relationship of motor drive pulley to dram pully is fixed. The multi-vee belts when fitted will not stay central on the flat drum pulley ..... I can fit central to drum pulley and vee belt is on the first inner vee of motor pulley, but as soon as it rotates it jumps one vee to the right. Still fully on the vee pulley, but runs with a belt just on edge of drum pulley (not overlapping) ..... but presumably this is why it came off. I have ordered new belt anyway, assume existing belt may be stretched.

Anybody any other suggestions .... there seems to be no adjustment.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

rick laid this down on his screen :

Multi-vee belts are normally driven and drive multi-vee pulleys, I have never seen one drive a smooth pulley. I have seen the flat back of the belt, pass around a smooth pulley, such as a tensioner pulley.

Something seems to not be right. Was the original pulley on the drum smooth?

[newshound]

+1. ISTR I might have a multi-vee belt driving my tumble dryer drum, but most certainly not a washing machine.

[Tim+]

Ditto on my ancient gas tumble dryer.

Tim

[newshound]

Does it have a Stirling engine motor?

:-)

[rick]

Yes small motor pulley is multi-vee the main drum is just a flat plastic pulley ..... was the same of the old drum.

There is no tensioner or any adjustment on Motor or drum, the relationship is fixed. It does say that drum belt is fixed tension and non-adjustable.

I looked for a grub screw or similar on motor pulley ... but pulley seem fixed onto shaft.

Its back on and done 3 more full wash cycles and stayed on ... but it does not run in centre of drum pulley.

[Paul]

There's a picture here. Can't see detail on drum pulley.

Here's another model. Drum pulley doesn't appear to have any sort of friction feature at all, relying on motor pulley for belt control.

( )

That's probably why, in a Youtube video, it's so easy to put the belt back on.

Paul

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It happens that rick formulated :

So the multi-vee's, on the inside of the belt, are driving a flat pulley?

Which suggests something is axially out of alignment, if it is running to one side. I think I'm right in suggesting that flat pulley have a slight convex curve, to make the belt run to the centre.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

rick submitted this idea :

It was maybe pressed on and pressed not quite far enough/ too far.

[rick]

No ... I put a set square on it - its flat

[rick]

I will fit a new belt - if that still does not ride true unsure of next step ..... if it were coming off at rear I could put packer behind motor fixing bolts and move it out slightly.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

It happens that rick formulated :

Have you tried fitting the belt so it rotates the opposite way? Does it work its way off, on the other side of the pulley? If it does, it would suggest it is a faulty belt.