Don Terrill’s Speed-Talk

I am now using a Jesel belt drive and am not happy with belt life in my application. This is a street/strip car with a sbc and a roller cam. I have had good luck with timing chains, but thought a belt drive would be better. I never wanted to use a gear drive since i have heard they transmit harmonics, but am now thinking of going to a fixed idler gear drive setup.
I would like to hear how the engine builders here feel about gear drives, and if used what brand?

Thanks Jim.

Check out the Shaver - Wesmar gear drives .I have used nothing else for the past few years and have had no problems.

I have never had the opportunity to see evidence of this harmonics causing a problem. Logic says it is there but is it a problem for 99.9% of us? Doubtful.

I have run gear drives for 30 years and while I use the belt drives on some customer engines (it's the in thing) I won't on mine. I think the reason is that I see what we all see with any kind of belt. That flexing and flapping in and out gives me pause. I also have broken more than one blower belt sooo I figure, perhaps incorrectly, that it's only a matter of luck and time.........

Have a safe race
Dave Koehler
www.koehlerinjection.com

I would imagine this thread will generate as much emotion as fact. I've run chains, gear drives and now belts on my own stuff and alot of customer engines. I can honestly say non of them has caused us much grief except for some bad chains quite a few years ago. Of the gear drives I tried, I liked the Summers Bros. fixed idler set-up. It was easy to install and rugged as an anvil. I believe there is horsepower to be gained by running belt drives, there are no free lunches, part of the neccesary evil is maintance.

Thanks for info. I am happy to here of some fixed idler drives since i am not familier with them and have not heard of the ones mentioned so far, again thanks.

Jim

Has anyone had any experiance with Milodons gear drive?