Shopsmith Forums

I've been tuning up my headstock and notice that the hub mounted to the idlershaft is hot to the touch. This after running the motor throughout the range of speeds, with no load. I checked the poly v belt tension, and it gives about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch. I recently replaced the drive belt with one from Jacob Anderson. So should I be replacing the idlershaft next, or is it normal for the hub to get warm. I can touch it, so it's not too hot. Just concerned that it may get much hotter when I do put a load on it.

Thanks in advance.


BTW, I do oil the sheaves on the idlershaft with plenty of 3 in 1 oil.

Even on my PowerPro the top of the unit gets hot after a while. Case acts as a heat sink to a certain degree.

A warm/hot idler shaft is typical.

Consider it's job. It hss an idler pulley with movable sheaves that is connected to two V-belts. V-belts have to slide on the sides of the pulley when turning them. That sliding creates heat due to friction. That heat has few paths to escape and therefore builds up.

The drive sleeve has the gilmer/poly-v pulley that also gets warm/hot, but it has better heat dissipation paths. Those paths include the top of the headstock.

Thanks for your input.