Flat belts

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liveaboard
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Re: Flat belts

Post by liveaboard »

I sometimes use it (outside); blast it with a spray gun as a degreaser. Follow with compressed air, before the gasoline fully evaporates, works for heavy grime deposits on tractor parts and such.
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Bill Shields
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Re: Flat belts

Post by Bill Shields »

I personally prefer 111 trichloroethylene or MEK. :mrgreen:

Considering that you are already using a rubber belt..there is little that you can do except spray or v conversion.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Harold_V
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Re: Flat belts

Post by Harold_V »

liveaboard wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:46 am I sometimes use it (outside); blast it with a spray gun as a degreaser. Follow with compressed air, before the gasoline fully evaporates, works for heavy grime deposits on tractor parts and such.
Yep! I suspect it does work, and very well, but what you described is a perfect storm. Gasoline does not burn. A spark can be induced in fluid gasoline without issue. It's the fumes that are troublesome, and what you described is akin to the nozzle of an oil burner. Only in this case, the resulting fumes are ultra-eager to burn. The flame from this method of degreasing would most likely envelop you and the immediate surroundings. You'd have little to no chance to escape alive.

I've used Stoddard solvent the same way. It, too, is dangerous, but somewhat harder to ignite, and most likely would yield a smaller ball of flame.
It's dangerous business working with combustibles. Even oil--when atomized.

H
Wise people talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.
John Hasler
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Re: Flat belts

Post by John Hasler »

liveaboard wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 4:46 am I sometimes use it (outside); blast it with a spray gun as a degreaser. Follow with compressed air, before the gasoline fully evaporates, works for heavy grime deposits on tractor parts and such.
That's just about the most dangerous way to use gasoline as a solvent that I can think of.

I sometimes soak stuff in gasoline but I do it outside on the ground (so that I can't dump the cantainer over on myself) and stop and change my clothes if I spill any on them.
LIALLEGHENY
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Re: Flat belts

Post by LIALLEGHENY »

My father told me to mix gasoline with kerosene, I'm guessing that's what my grandfather told him to do. Worked quite well and I never set myself or anything else on fire.....don't do that anymore though. Later on in life when I was a mechanic there was Safety Clean, which worked OK. Now there is all this environmentally friendly crap.....dishwashing soap works better!

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TomB
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Gasoline for cleaning

Post by TomB »

About 50 years ago my dad had left some parts to soak in gasoline. The can was in our garage (an un-heated detached) building. I saw the can and wondered about it but did not do anything to it. Perhaps a week or two later I was back at college and I got a call from my mother telling me that my youngest brother had decided to make mud pies and used a stick with a nail in the end as a stirrer. Apparently the nail hit the side of the can there was a spark and my little 5 year old brother ended up with severe burns on his hands. My mother was a terror for getting things done her way and she was not about to have a son with crippled hands. She went out and bought him a small child's guitar and signed him up for lessons. Once a week she would drive him to the guitar lesson and for about an hour every afternoon she would insist he practice. It happened in Sept I saw him when I came home for T'giving and at the time never thought her plan would work. Today you can see no sign that his hands were burned. He is however a good guitar player. My point is, its not just a problem for you; your children may be around and there is no way to predict what they may try to do.
pat1027
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Re: Flat belts

Post by pat1027 »

I have a 9" Model A dating from the late 20's that runs a flat belt. The leather belt it came with used to slip. I replaced it with a rubber composite belt material from McMaster. The new belt with a little tension adjustment and it runs fine. I cleaned the pulleys and hit it with some belt dressing once.

As for cleaning the pulleys I used a cloth rag with mineral spirits. You don't need any of the low flash point solvents. Gasoline...only for fueling outdoor power machines and the cans don't even get stored in the attached garage.
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