maddy@ukgo.com Posted August 16, 2019 Report Share Posted August 16, 2019 Hi, Anyone had trouble with the narrow fan belt water pump aluminium pulley? Mine was fitted less that a thousand miles ago by a well known TR specialist, and they either left the fan belt much too tight or the kit is flawed. The hole through the aluminium pulley has opened up to the point where it has completely lost drive and the pulley just rattles about on the pump shaft, sounding like a box of rusty spanners. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted August 16, 2019 Report Share Posted August 16, 2019 (edited) Sounds as though the pulley fixing wasn't tightened up properly in the first place. Is the woodruff key there? Edited August 16, 2019 by RobH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Has the well-known TR specialist replaced the pulley free of charge (and rectified any damage caused)? Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 On 8/16/2019 at 7:27 PM, maddy@ukgo.com said: Hi, Anyone had trouble with the narrow fan belt water pump aluminium pulley? Mine was fitted less that a thousand miles ago by a well known TR specialist, and they either left the fan belt much too tight or the kit is flawed. The hole through the aluminium pulley has opened up to the point where it has completely lost drive and the pulley just rattles about on the pump shaft, sounding like a box of rusty spanners. I'm sure there are different pump drive shafts - parallel and tapered. They should not be swapped about. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Z320 Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) Hi, I still use the cast iron pulley, two ideas to the aluminium one. First: The pulley finds it position to the belt and the other pulley by a minimum offset on the water pump shaft, about 16.00 mm (diameter for the bearings) reduced to 15.80 or 15.90 mm (diameter for the pulley), if I remember right. If the aluminium is too soft I would expect it will not hold the forces on this minimum offset. So I would prefer only aluminium with a steel bush inside. Second: The shaft has to be some millimeter shorter than the pulley to get it tight, so the shaft ends in the pulley. You have to use a SOLID washer under the nut, a standard washer will bend under the forces in the pulley and it gets slack. Ciao, Marco Edited August 19, 2019 by Z320 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
maddy@ukgo.com Posted August 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 3 hours ago, RogerH said: I'm sure there are different pump drive shafts - parallel and tapered. They should not be swapped about. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
maddy@ukgo.com Posted August 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 Thank you all very much for your advice. I'm really trying to ascertain if the use of an aluminium pulley, being soft, is flawed, and problems are being experienced by others, or whether mine was simply installed badly. I have obtaimed another pump and aluminium pulley. I put lead-in chamfers on the woodfuff key to stop it cutting into the pulley when pressing it on, and as the coefficient of friction of aluminium is double that of steel, I am running the fan belt very much looser without any slipping. I'll keep a close eye on it over the next 1000 miles. 1000 miles is quite a long timescale, and I'm sure the guys that fitted it won't be interested. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 I have not heard of anything particularly naughty about the Ali pulleys. Some have failed bit not in plague quantities. As for 1000 miles - that is about 2 weeks in the Summer and a whole month in the Winter. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drewmotty Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 I warm the pulley with a hot air gun or kettle of boiling water before fitting. It should slip on easily and then shrink a bit to form a snug fit on the shaft without picking up as it slides on. It's very easy to force the pulley onto the shaft less than square and broach out a couple of thou' from the pulley as you go making the pulley fit on the shaft a bit too loose. As mentioned above make sure that you use the correct thick washer under a new Nyloc nut. From a design point of view the alloy pulley on the steel shaft is sound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted August 19, 2019 Report Share Posted August 19, 2019 +1 for Andrew's comment Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
maddy@ukgo.com Posted September 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2019 I never thought of warming the new pulley up before fitting. I put a small lead in chamfer on the top and sides of the woodruff key, and used a press to push it on with a touch of lube. Appears to be fine so far. However, a company called Old 20 (www.old20tractorparts.com) sell a water pump designed for an early Massey Ferguson tractor that is identical to that on the TR2-4, but the slot for the woodruff key is in the wrong place. We all know how tight farmers are, so it follows that this is a real quality item that won't fail, manufactured in Australia, and they are looking to provide a second slot in the right place........and it's cheaper! (farmer's influence again) Instead of a thick washer, it will need a spacer about 15-20mm between the pulley and the nut. I haven't got a mechanical fan on my TR3A, just electric. I don't know if this would be an issue? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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