Taper Loc pulleys, where & how much?

[Anorak_ian]

Taper loc pulleys, where do you get yours and how much do you pay for them?

I have decided to take off my engine pulley and replace it with a bigger one, rather than up the size of the gearbox sprocket.
This will keep the final drive chain nicely away from the frame etc (as it is now), also I have decided to move the primary closer to the engine / gearbox so I can fit a more standard type clutch design, as the Bob Newby clutch was an off set special build, and I will be replacing that later this year.

[sbrumby]

Just go to any bearing supliers, taper lock pulleys are as comon as vbelts. They are made up from two parts, inner that fits the shaft, about £4 depending on size, outer again depending on size and cog if duplex type, but lets say 24teeth for 1/2 inch pitch about £5.

[Anorak_ian]

Thanks Sam, why did I have it in mind it was a lot more expensive.

[Sphere]

My combo was 5 euro for the taper and 20 euro for the sprocket, I think. No clue if that's expensive or not. Also unsure what a pulley costs over here.

[Anorak_ian]

Cheers

[Anorak_ian]

Aaarrrrgh! After doing all the working out on paper to get the correct gear ratios, they don't make a belt (£22) that would fit and I would have to use a belt tensioner (roller).
On top of that they want £50+ for the pulley and bush, to which I would have to spend a further £50 to get the taper put in to fit my engine. It turns out you can't buy them with a ready made taper.
So I have decided to up the gearbox sprocket instead and hope the final drive chain keeps off the frame. Of course a smaller rear sprocket would cure it.

Thanks for your help.

[Sphere]

What gearbox sprocket are you using? I'm thinking about upping my 16t to 19/20t depending on how to engine works out.

[Anorak_ian]

Well I had a 21 tooth on and it didn't like it, struggled to pull my fat bod up the hill.

It would have been ok at top end though, anyhow I changed it for a 17 tooth and it flew.
I should have done the calculations first as the top end will be right down, so now I'm fitting a 19 tooth which should be spot on, but I am looking out for an old british back wheel with a 34 - 36 tooth sprocket so I can go back to the 17 tooth gearbox sprocket and keep the chain well away from anything (I want a nice chrome spoke whell anyway).

[sbrumby]

Are you talking toothed belt? What bike? what box? As I have said before you allways need the bit that was attached to the engine before. This can then be lathed down to a standard size, then standard taperlock will fit. If you need a belt tensioner just use one or ones off cambelt tensioners, scapyard full of them. When talking about belt length either engine or box has to move. Fixing these with the idea that a precise belt length would fit is nearly impossible.

[coachgeo]

... If you need a belt tensioner just use one or ones off cambelt tensioners, scapyard full of them...

not haven ever seen a cambelt tensioner could you point us to a key word to search for images of them... or to actual pics of a generic one? Everything I built long ago used cam chains. Would probably make a good topic all on its own actually. (call it Belt Tensioners)

[Sphere]

coach... come on... seriously. Just punch "cambelt tensioner" into Google.

[coachgeo]

coach... come on... seriously. Just punch "cambelt tensioner" into Google.

thanks.... guess I should get a kick in the arse for that one. Not sure why I was thinking cambelt tensioner was backyard mechanic lingo for a more technical name that would be the better of the keywords to search with.

[Sphere]

Forgiven.

[Anorak_ian]

Are you talking toothed belt? What bike? what box? As I have said before you allways need the bit that was attached to the engine before. This can then be lathed down to a standard size, then standard taperlock will fit. If you need a belt tensioner just use one or ones off cambelt tensioners, scapyard full of them. When talking about belt length either engine or box has to move. Fixing these with the idea that a precise belt length would fit is nearly impossible.

Yea it's the toothed belt from Bob Newby (Gates powergrip), it's the Ariel Ruggerini with an Enfield box. As the weathers brass monkeys at the moment I thought I would look for ways to improve the bike.
Ah, I knew I should have bought a lathe, I don't trust any of the monkeys down here to do the job.
At the moment the belt fits on absolutely perfect without a tensioner, and that's why I wanted to go up 4 teeth in both belt and pulley to keep that perfect fit. Anyhow, the belts and pulleys that they stock don't match up (4 teeth) so I'll go with the size I have.
So as far as moving the pulley closer in to the bike, I'll have to have it re machined I guess. Send it back to Bob.

Cheers

[Crazymanneil]

Ian,

If you get a pulley with 4 extra teeth and a belt with 4 extra teeth the centre to centre distance will be different from original anyway. Its not a simple matter of matter of increasing number of teeth like that because it depends on other factors like how much of the belt wraps the pulley. There are several calculators out there that will work it out for you, some simple and some less so. I used this one successfully -

http://www.mitcalc.com/en/pr_tbelts.htm

It would be one of the more complex ones because it calculates rated power etc but it also does centre distance which is what you are after.

N

[Anorak_ian]

Cheers Neil.
Well I got a local wurzel to cut a new taper further in to the existing pulley, and I have to say I'm impressed (and very surprised).
I gently slipped the pulley over the shaft and it was stuck, I could turn the engine (by the pulley) with out the pulley bolt or key, and it needed pry bars to get it off.
The pulley is now in the perfect position, which is good as I can now use an after market clutch of quality, and say goodbye to the BNC job.