blade not turning -- need belts?

[martyl]

I have a BT3000 -- I haven't used it in over 5 years.

I want to get back into wood working (I bought a dust collector
the other month and have been cleaning up the the shop).

I changed blades on my BT3000 to rip some boards for a pergo
floor I'm putting down -- when I went to turn it on, the motor seems
to spin,but the arbor/blade doesn't move.

Do I need belts? I didn't have a problem when I put the saw to sleep over 5 years ago...

I also was amazed I saw a BT3100 at home depot last night (I think with a stand) for $250...

(I always thought the saw was direct drive -- I guess now it isn't!!)

Found out about this resource the other week -- pretty impressed...

[LCHIEN]

Welcome to the forum. My BT3000 dates to about 1999.

Sounds like the belts (2) in your saw are gone. Maybe in 5 years they dry-rotted as rubber does sometimes. The two identical belts are non-standard, only available from Ryobi and autohorized ryobi parts sellers. Offhand I think they'll run you about $20 for the pair.

They can be tough to replace, there's some articles in the Articles section of this website that tell you how to do it. It helps to boil them in water to make them more pliable when installing.

There's also the Frequently asked Questions - you might find them of help and you can access these by going to the first post under "Getting Started" and click the permanent link to the FAQ (and Acronyms).

[monte]

quote:Originally posted by jxyoung

Craftsman micro torque wrench $26 off. Now $48. 9/16 to 9/18

I would consider something else.
These do not have lifetime warranty, Husky@HD,and HF ones do. I have both and the Husky is better in 1/2" drive size due to 250

[JimD]

You can see where the belts go with the throat plate out. It is easiest to see them with the blade removed. They are amber in color and go on the end of the arbor that is opposite the blade. When mine went, part of them melted into a goo. I had to scrape it off the arbor before installing the new belts - which was a pain. They are quite snug and there seems to be no way to take the tension off while you are installing. If you can get the darned things started, you can use a block of wood to gently tap them sideways into position. Getting them started is the trick.

Jim

[martyl]

You can see where the belts go with the throat plate out. It is easiest to see them with the blade removed. They are amber in color and go on the end of the arbor that is opposite the blade. When mine went, part of them melted into a goo. I had to scrape it off the arbor before installing the new belts - which was a pain. ...

Yeah, it looks like decomposed rubber goo -- nothing like a belt anymore...
I ended up turning the saw upside to get a good view (couldn't see much
without the throat plate sans blade).

I have three choices:
1) fix the BT3000
2) buy a BT3100 (and it appears use the old stand -- and I'll have a lot of spare parts)
3) buy something else (with an induction motor)

I;m going to wait until the articles reappear here before deciding what to do
(I printed out some other pages on the side, but not the belt changing instructions). [anyone have the belt changing instructions -- a link?]

[Knottscott]

Hi Marty - I see you're from Rochester and wanted to say "hi".

I've never changed the belts but have read that soaking them in hot water just prior to putting them on softens them a bit making the task easier. I'm sure one of the experts here will guide you. Good luck!