# Drive belt on Excelsior lathe



## Bobostro61 (Jan 13, 2013)

The belt on my Rockler Excelsior lathe is wearing out and I want to change it.  How do I go about changing the belt?  Anybody know?  There's nothing in the manual on how to do it.

Thanks!


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## Fibonacci (Jan 13, 2013)

You remove the handwheel, loosen the grub screws on the upper pulley, drive the spindle out toward the ways (use a rubber mallet or similar), take the old belt off the motor, put it back together in reverse.

The front bearing on the spindle is pressed onto the spindle, so it will come out with the spindle.  The rear bearing is pressed into the headstock, so it will stay.

When you put it back together, be careful to get the motor and spindle  pulley lines up before you tighten the spindle pulley back down.  If  they are not aligned properly you will just eat the new belt right off.

The only place to really get screwed up is if you put the pulley back on the spindle backwards.  Nothing good comes of that.


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## hilltopper46 (Jan 13, 2013)

Grizzly has a lathe very similar to that one and you download the manual from their website. I think their manual is slightly better than the one for the excelsior.


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## studioso (Jan 17, 2013)

I wouldn't call that a manual...
anyways, the belt -as far as I recall- has no marking on it, so it's hard to identify. you can get a new one from rockler, give them a call, or bring your old one to a bearing/belts/tools shop.


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## Great Googly Moogly (Jan 17, 2013)

been there done that...confusing and concerning at the same time.  pound out the spindle...easy peasy...


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## Bobostro61 (Jan 23, 2013)

Fibonacci said:


> You remove the handwheel, loosen the grub screws on the upper pulley, drive the spindle out toward the ways (use a rubber mallet or similar), take the old belt off the motor, put it back together in reverse.
> 
> The front bearing on the spindle is pressed onto the spindle, so it will come out with the spindle.  The rear bearing is pressed into the headstock, so it will stay.
> 
> ...



When you say "Drive the spindle out toward the ways", is that driving it out toward the tail stock, or the other end?


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## Great Googly Moogly (Jan 24, 2013)

toward the tail stock.


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## PWL (Jan 24, 2013)

Try WebFile.com in LA.  I bought one for my Jet 1014 $6.00 delivered. You do have to count the ridges and measure the length. Good service and friendly.
Paul


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