Is it okay to apply belt dressing to the various belts of the engine on a regular basis, say every three months? I ask because I clean/detail the engine quite regularly, and I can't help but feel that the belts are being left out of the cleaning/maintenance process. What's more, won't that keep the belts supple?
oks lang yan pre, pero baka sobra yung every 3 months. gumagamit din kami nyan dito sa rig pero every 6 months lang saka pag dry ang rubber para hindi maging brittle(summer time). kung linis lang ang gusto mo, pwede naman linisin ang belts ng soap and water.
Well, if you do have a belt that squeals, applying some belt dressing will remove the noise instantaneously. Of course, some people may frown on this practice because it is more cosmetic for the purpose than anything. If the belt squeals, then it is too loose or too tight. Ergo, the correct solution would be to tighten or loosen the belt.
On the other hand, I was thinking that application of the belt dressing as part of routine maintenance could prolong the life of the belt or at least make it more supple. But I really don't know if it will. It was just a thought. After all, we do apply dressing on the rubber hoses of our engines as part of maintenance/detailing, don't we? So, why not do the same for the belts?
BlueBimmer, you spray the dressing on the surface of the belt that has contact with the pulley. Actually, the instructions are on the can's label.
belt dressing is used for preventing the rubber to become brittle due to high humidity and/or high temperatures. it prolongs the life of the belt, it is not just for cosmetics. read the label.
it is not for removing squeeks. when a belt squeeks, it means only one thing -- the belt is slipping on the pulley due to incorrect belt tension. the cure is to tighten the belt to the recommended tension. although applying belt dressing will temporarily remove the squeeks, it does not solve the situation. soap does the same trick, don't ask me why but it prevents the belt from slipping. when the dressing (or soap) wears off it will squeek again.
kahit ano pwede, pero hassle kung tanggalin mo pa ang belt. here on the rig we just run the equipment then spray on both sides (inside and out). mag-slip sya pag wet pero it takes only a few seconds to dry. konti lang spray mo, pag sobra e dudumi naman at mag-stick ang dust.
wreckless, the common belt dressings available are Cyclo and PittPenn. Both are available at your usual mall hardware franchises (e.g. Ace, TV, Handyman, etc.).
buknoy, you can spray on the dressing while the engine's off. Then start the engine and make it run for a few minutes. Oh yeah, just a tip: you may want to buy the smaller sized-can if your engine compartment's a little tight. It gets pretty difficult to reach in and spray the belts.
yebo, that's what I meant. Only you said it better. Thanks.
Last edited by groucho; January 1st, 2005 at 12:56 PM.